Save Me
by kaela097
Summary: Takes place a few days after the 'tragic' finale of season three. This my version of how Chuck and Blair find their way back to each other.
1. Chapter 1

**Here is my attempt to repair the damage done to my 'Chair' at the conclusion to Season Three. If you haven't seen the finale of Season Three, I'd hold off on reading until you do – major spoilers alert if you decide to continue. You have been warned.**

"It's my mom," Serena announced when her phone chirped to life as she and Blair sat in a sidewalk café along the Champs-Élyséees. It had been their first stop upon landing in Paris, and it was becoming their morning ritual since they arrived in Paris two days ago. "She must have finally gotten my message about ending up in Paris and wants me to pick her up some of her favorite scarves."

"Say hello to her for me," Blair stated as she sent a flirty wave towards the cute French boy that was eyeing her across the street. "I'm going to get on with my life." Blair pointed towards the boy as she stood up from the table.

"Go get him, B," Serena encouraged her best friend as she answered her phone. Her cheerful smile was immediately erased as her mother broke the horrible news.

"Serena, this is Pierre," Blair announced as Serena came over after her quick phone call.

"Hi," Serena rushed out, "Blair, I need to tell you something."

"Pierre, isn't that such a Parisian name. It's so much better than that Motherchucker," Blair continued on, "He doesn't speak any English. I'm so glad my mother insisted that I become fluent in French."

"B," Serena tried to cut her off.

Blair ignored Serena's attempt to get her attention as she turned to continue on with her conversation with Pierre.

"B!" Serena exclaimed. She could not put off her news any longer.

"S, you're being rude," Blair scowled at her best friend as Serena hauled her to her feet abruptly. "Whatever you need to tell me can surely wait until after I get Pierre's number."

"It's Chuck," Serena replied.

"That name is dead to me," Blair glared. Her best friend knew better than to bring up his name. She had spent too much time and energy putting that evil man out of her mind.

"He's been shot," Serena added as tears filled her eyes. It wasn't until she said the words out loud that it fully hit her.

"What?" Blair whispered as she collapsed into the chair again. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes as she began to choke for breath. Serena's words continued to echo in her ears. It seemed too impossible to be true. Either her dream had turned into a nightmare or her best friend was playing the cruelest of jokes on her.

"He was mugged in Prague. They took all his money. When he tried to fight back, they shot him," Serena explained in a rush.

"Is he okay?" Blair managed to choke out. She knew then that she wasn't dreaming because she would have woken up by now. Serena would have delivered the punch line by now, so it wasn't a cruel joke either. This was real.

"He's in stable condition, but it's very serious," Serena explained, "Mom is at the airport in New York. She's trying to find a way to get to Prague, but there are no flights out until tomorrow. She doesn't know anything more than he's in stable condition."

"I have to get to him," Blair told Serena with a desperation that surprised her best friend.

"But with everything that's happened?" Serena reminded her.

"It's irrelevant," Blair snapped, "Either come with me or get out of my way."

"I'm coming," Serena assured her. She was not going to let her friend face this alone.

There was a male voice calling out for Blair in French, the young man she only recently met. She didn't hear him. She didn't hear anything other that the words that continued to ring in her ears. "He's been shot."

* * *

"I'm looking for Chuck Bass," Blair announced as she pounded on the desk to get the receptionist's attention. The poor receptionist jumped a mile in fright at the noise.

The lady looked at Blair in confusion. She hadn't understood a word Blair had said. Why would she, it was in English.

"Chuck Bass," Blair repeated as she continued to slap at the desk with her hand. "Find him now."

"Blair, calm down," Serena instructed her as she rubbed Blair's shoulders in an effort to keep her from ripping the poor receptionist's head off.

"You've been telling me that for three hours," Blair snapped as she brushed Serena's hands away, "If you say that one more time, I'm going to pull out that blonde hair by the roots, strand by strand."

"Perhaps I can help," a young man that appeared to be in his early twenties stated as he approached. His accent was thick and made it difficult to understand, but he spoke English.

"I need Chuck Bass's room number right now," Blair demanded.

Serena opened her mouth to tell her friend to calm down once more, but quickly clamped her mouth shut as Blair's eyes challenged her.

After a rapid conversation between the young man and the receptionist, they found out that Chuck was in intensive care. The handy young man offered to show them the way as it would be difficult to explain the way as all signed in the hospital were in Czech. Had either been in the mood, surely they would have noticed the way their impromptu tour guide was drooling over Serena.

"Only Chuck Bass would have the nerve to end up in a hospital with no English subtitles," Blair stated in exasperation as they were lead through the hospital corridors.

"The nurse says that only family is allowed in," the young man explained after a brief conversation at the nurse's station at the entrance to the intensive care unit.

"I am family," Blair insisted as tears she was fighting to contain welled in her eyes. She was so close. She could feel his presence. She wasn't going to let some nurse with an authority complex stop her now.

The nurse seemed to understand as she stood up from her desk and placed a gentle hand on Blair's back as she ushered her to Chuck's bedside. Blair choked on a sob as she caught her first glimpse of him. He looked so pale and lifeless with a plethora of tubes and wires attached to various parts of his body. His eyes were closed and his face was contorted in what looked like pain. She felt physically ill as she took a few steps closer to him, tentatively reaching for his hand before pulling it away nervously before she touched him.

"Can he hear me?" Blair inquired as she looked hopefully at the nurse.

"Yes," the nurse nodded, her accent was as thick as the young man's from the lobby, but the message was clear. "He's not unconscious. He'll wake if he wants to."

"Chuck, can you hear me?" Blair inquired as she took a hold of his hand with greater determination this time, squeezing it gently. "It's me."

"Is this heaven?" Chuck asked as he opened his eyes slowly as her voice and then facial features registered in his mind.

"You're in the hospital," Blair told him as she sat down in the nearby chair as the nurse made a discreet exit. She'd been caring for Chuck since he arrived, and he'd been mumbling the same name over and over. She had a sneaking suspicion that the name belonged to the very distraught young brunette at his bedside.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he spoke weakly as he entwined his fingers through hers, slowly but deliberately.

"Don't talk like that," she told his as she wiped a tear out of her eyes with her free hand. "I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere."

"About Jenny," he began weakly.

"It doesn't matter," she told him as she pressed a finger to his lips, "Nothing matters to me but you. We'll figure it all out. You just need to get better."

"I thought I'd lost you," he continued on, "I was out of my mind with grief. I didn't know what I was doing until after it happened. Then you showed up. I knew I should have told you, but I knew you'd react like you did. You had every right to react like you did, but I couldn't take losing you for a second time in one night."

"Please stop," she told him as her tears fell harder.

"I never would have done it if I thought I had any shred of a chance with you," he told her as he licked his parched lips. "I'm so sorr. . ."

Blair put a finger to his lips again to silence his apology.

"I don't care about what between you and Humphrey. I know it didn't mean anything to you," she assured him. "We can talk about all of this later. Right now you need to focus on getting better, so I can take you home.

"I make a mess out of everything," he turned his head away to avert her gaze. He couldn't take the loving way that she was looking at him when he knew she was just going to leave if he got better.

"Life is messy, Chuck. We make mistakes. We learn from them. We move on," she told him. "I learned that no matter how much I want to walk away from you and forget all of the hurt and pain that you cause, I cannot do it because at the end of the day, I still love you and I still want a life with you. Our mistakes are part of who we are."

"Please don't say things to give me false hope," he hissed as he turned his head to her quickly, too quickly he realized as he pulled at his wound that had him groaning loudly in pain.

"Chuck," Blair exclaimed as his eyes rolled back in his head as he slumped back against the bed. If she couldn't hear his heart monitor beeping regularly, she would have thought he died right in that moment. She quickly began pushing the call button next to Chuck's hand to get the nurse in immediately.

"You should leave," the nurse told Blair.

"I'm not leaving," Blair responded forcefully as she caressed his hand, bringing the back of his hand to her face so she could feel the softness of his skin against hers. A tear fell down her cheek and onto his hand. "Listen to me, Chuck, I'm not leaving you."

* * *

"Blair, I found us a hotel room right across the street," Serena told Blair as she was able to talk her way into Chuck's room after the nurses had changed shifts. "We should go get some rest. The nurses told me that Chuck needs to get his rest. We can come back first thing in the morning."

"No," Blair shook her head as she kissed his hand for possibly the hundredth time that hour.

"B, you need your rest," Serena insisted as she tried to pry Blair's hand away from Chuck's. It was no use as Blair had a virtual death grip on his hand.

"No," Blair spoke again. "I will stay here for as long as it takes. He needs to know that I'm not leaving him again. He needs to know that I love him, and that I forg. . . forgive him."

"Hey, Sis," Chuck woke up groggily to see the blonde hovering over Blair's shoulder.

"Hey, Chuck, how are you feeling?" Serena inquired as her eyes softened as she stepped around his bed to take his other hand.

"A blonde and a brunette at my bedside, are you sure this isn't heaven," he tried to pull off with his trademark sarcasm, but the joke fell flat.

"Chuck," Blair scolded him as she playfully slapped his hand.

"You're still here," he replied as he gingerly pulled her adjoined hand to his lips so he could kiss her hand.

"I'm not leaving," she told him as she allowed her hand to linger against his lips.

"Your determination is impressive," he replied, again trying to find his sarcastic tone, but unable to do so. It was hard to find anything to be sarcastic about with her delicate skin still hovering next to his lips. He could smell her tantalizing perfume that she had no doubt applied to her wrists as she was getting dressed that morning.

"I'm not leaving," she repeated.

"Is there an echo in this room? Blair, I was shot in the stomach, not in the ears. My hearing is in perfect working order," he told her.

"As is your tongue I see," Blair replied sarcastically with a menacing stare.

"What happened away?" Serena inquired as she decided to pull up a chair. It was obvious they weren't going anywhere, and she wasn't leaving her best friend. She might as well get an explanation as to how he ended up in hospital.

"I was looking for a date for the evening in an alley," Chuck began.

"A date," Serena eyed him skeptically.

"He means prostitute," Blair amended.

"As I was saying, I was looking for a prostitute in an alley, two guys grabbed me and started going through my pockets. I told them I had enough money and that I'd give them as much as they wanted. They must not have heard of Chuck Bass in their little holes," he gritted his teeth as a wave of pain hit him. The medication they had given him earlier was starting to wear off.

Blair promptly pushed the call button for the nurse as Serena tried to distract him from the pain my saying, "Are there people in this world that don't know who Chuck Bass is?"

"A sad commentary of the times, I suppose," he continued on, "They found one thing that I desperately wanted to hang on to. They were going to take it, and I couldn't let them have it, so I tried to fight them for it. I didn't know they had a gun. The next thing I knew I was on the ground, bleeding. My life flashed before my eyes. It was only images of you, Blair."

The nurse came in to interrupt the moment as she administered more morphine for Chuck's pain. It knocked him right out, despite him wanting to fight through it.

"Are you and Chuck getting back together?" Serena inquired once Chuck began to breath heavily in his sleep. Blair had fresh tears in her eyes from his touching words. "After everything he's done. How can you even think about something like this?"

"Because I love him," Blair replied, "This isn't some silly high school crush or part of some fairytale inside my head. This is the kind of love that can overlook all his faults, all his mistakes, all the pain that he caused. I'll be miserable for the rest of my life without him, just like I know he will be without me. When we're together, and we work together as a team, we are electric. Nothing and nobody can tear us apart. We have things that we have to work through, but I'm not running anymore. I can't run anymore."

"I don't know if I can watch the two of you crash and burn again," Serena told her best friend.

"Then there is the door," Blair nodded towards the entrance to Chuck's room.

"You'd really choose him over me," Serena replied.

"I'm not choosing. You are," Blair told her simply.

"I don't want to see you hurt," Serena tried to explain.

"And I love you for that, S," Blair assured her, "If you don't want to see me get hurt, support me on this. It hurts too much to stay away. Like he's said, we're magnetic. Our pull is undeniable. I'll say it however many ways you want me to say it. I'm staying." She turned towards Chuck, and even though he was asleep she addressed him as if he was awake. "Do you hear me, Bass? Get it through that enormously large and stubbornly thick skull. I'm staying."

**TBC . . .**

**A little background on this first chapter - I wrote this first chapter immediately after Season Three ended. I simply could not force myself to fall asleep until I fixed this, at least partially.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Oh my god, Charles!" Lily exclaimed as she burst into Chuck's room to see Serena slumped in one chair next to his bed, and Blair's head rested against her hand that was adjoined with Chuck's also asleep. Being the light sleeper she was, Blair jolted awake at the sound of Lily's voice to find Chuck's eyes wide open with a serene smile on his face as he gazed down at her.

"You stayed," he told Blair as he watched her wipe at her eyes as she tried to sit back in the uncomfortable chair. Her back was screaming in protest at having been in such an uncomfortable position for so many hours. He saw her wince in pain. "Would you like some of my morphine?"

"No," she told him with a glare.

Lily could wait no longer to be addressed. She stepped around her slumbering daughter and bent over to kiss his forehead. "Oh my god, Charles!" she repeated, "You had me so worried."

"I'm sorry," he muttered an apology as she stroked his cheek softly. His eyes closed at the tender moment he was sharing with his adoptive mother. He was sure that she would be one of the many who hated him for what he'd most recently done.

"I'm going to insist that from now on, if you decide to gallivant across the globe that you at least check in with me every couple of days. I should have know about this as soon as it happened," Lily demanded with her gentle tone.

"When did this happen?" Blair inquired. She had assumed that it was a very recent occurrence, probably within the last day or so.

"Four days ago," Lily exclaimed. "I only found out about it yesterday as they finally managed to identify you and notify your next of kin. I hear that you weren't being very cooperative during the identification process, refusing to give your name."

"Honestly 'I'm Chuck Bass' is your favorite expression. Was it that hard to mutter through the pain," Blair rolled her eyes.

"I haven't been Chuck Bass until last night," he told her as he looked deep into her eyes. His words from the previous summer registered in Blair's thoughts. She'd been worried that he would get bored being in their monogamous relationship, pointing out who he was and saying he needed the games they'd been playing. His response had been, "I'm not Chuck Bass without you."

Blair's eyes began to tear again. She was such a mess right now, crying over absolutely everything.

"Mom," Serena stated as she woke up with a view of her mother's backside in her face.

"Hello, Serena," Lily stated as she turned to kiss her daughter good morning. "Why didn't you inform me that you and Blair would be joining me in Prague? I would have secured larger accommodations at the hotel across the street."

"I didn't know Blair would want to go until I told her what happened," Serena replied.

"Have you girls eaten?" Lily inquired. The nurses had told her that Chuck was stable and needed his rest, and that it would be best to have the girls leave so he could do so.

"I'm not hungry," Blair replied, "But you two go ahead. I'll stay with Chuck."

"Blair, you should eat," he told her gently.

She shook her head. She was resolved to stay at his side.

"For me," he told her. He knew the one phrase that would get her to take care of herself. "I don't want you making yourself sick while watching over me. This bed is really only big enough for one no matter how much I'd like for you to join me."

"I said I'm staying," she told him.

"I get that you're not leaving the hospital," he told her. "I know I can be incredibly stubborn, and I don't always seem to listen well, but that much has been made abundantly clear."

"Promise me you won't go anywhere while I'm gone," she demanded.

"I have tubes and wires attached to nearly every part of my body, a hole in my stomach, and a floor of nurses that look like they could give sumo wrestlers a run for their money," he tried to assure her, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I won't be gone long," she told him as she kissed his lips lightly. "Behave."

Chuck nodded as he watched Blair leave along with Serena. Lily motioned that she would be along shortly.

"Charles, what's going on with you and Blair?" Lily inquired as she sat down in the chair Blair had only recently vacated.

"I don't know," he replied as he wiped his tired eyes. "She's here though, so that's a step forward."

"Or perhaps a step back," Lily suggested. "The two of you have serious issues to work through. You cannot allow yourself to get caught up in this moment and allow those issues to get pushed aside. Take it from someone who is perpetually divorced, it will come back to haunt you."

"What are you saying?" Chuck inquired. "Should I make Blair leave?"

"No," she assured him, "Take things slow. Start small and work your way back to each other. You two are so young, and you have your whole lives to figure things out. Don't jump back into what wasn't working."

Chuck thought for a moment about what she was telling him. He hated that her words made perfect sense. All he wanted was Blair, but he had broken her trust more than once recently. He had to gain that back. In the process, he needed to prove that her heart was safe with him. His gunshot wound was not the magical fix to that.

"You're right," he nodded finally.

Lily smiled at him warmly. "We'll be back soon. Did you need anything?"

"I don't really have the stomach for it right now," he tried to joke. She wasn't laughing.

* * *

"Can I talk to Blair alone," Chuck requested when the trio returned from their horrible hospital cafeteria breakfast.

Serena opened her mouth to protest, but Lily quickly pulled her away as Blair took her seat next to him. Her smile was bright, and even though she was tired, there wasn't any place else she wanted to be at that moment.

"How was breakfast?" he inquired as she wrapped her hand in his as she prepared to hunker down for the rest of the day.

"Horrible," she admitted. Blair had refused to leave the hospital so they had to make due with what was available. Serena had vowed to never experience that ever again. She was sure she was going to end up in a bed next to Chuck if she had another meal like that one. Blair had tried to pretend for Lily and Serena that the food wasn't that bad, but she nearly gagged on every bite. "Why is hospital cuisine always so awful?"

"Because it's hospital cuisine," he spoke simply.

"What did you want to talk about?" she inquired as she laid her head against the bed rail as she gazed into his eyes.

"Us," he told her as he took a deep breath.

She eyed him curiously.

"Blair, I love you, and nothing has happened to change that, but we also cannot pretend that the events of these past few months have not happened," he began. "I did some horrible things, unforgivable things. You're wanting to push them under the rug like they never happened. As much as I want that, I don't think we can do it. It's always going to fester. We have to work through and resolve this before we can even begin to move forward and attempt a relationship."

"It's done," she insisted, "Let's move on."

"We can't," he told her. "Blair, I traded you to Jack for one night so I could get my stupid hotel back. I slept with Jenny Humphrey while you were on your way to finding me so we could get back together. Each of those acts is unforgivable on their own, but I did both. I don't know how you can even stand to look at me. I haven't been able to look at myself. I've broken your trust. I've taken away your faith. I've taken away your safety net. I need to earn all of that back. Until I do, we cannot start over."

"So, what are you saying?" she asked as tears filled her eyes. "Can I not be here to help you recover?"

"I want you here," he assured her as he caressed her cheek softly with his free hand, wiping a rogue tear that escaped, "You are the one thing that makes the pain in my gut bearable, but I don't want us talking about the future or planning for something that may never come. If you're here, you're in the moment."

"I can do that," she nodded. She mentally added, "I think."

"I know it will be a challenge for you," he chuckled as if he could read her mind. She was a woman that loved to plan for the future. He was asking a lot of her.

"What shall we talk about then?" she inquired.

"Current events, how Paris was, the weather," he told her with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"The weather, really," she rolled her eyes, "Have we become so boring that we'll need to resort to conversations about the cumulus clouds overhead."

"I highly doubt we'll get that far," he told her. "I don't plan on being in this hospital for long. As soon as possible, I want to be discharged so I can recoup in a more comfortable setting."

"New York," she inquired hopefully.

"Or Paris," he replied, "I haven't decided yet."

"And what, may I ask will influence your decision?" she asked as she gave him a knowing smile.

"Where would you like to spend the summer?" he asked as his thumb caressed the back of her hand lightly.

"I did have my heart set on Paris," she told him.

"Then Paris it will be," he told her, "That is if you think Serena will allow me to tag along."

"I just won't give her an option to refuse," Blair shrugged, "You'll need a little looking after, and I intend to see to it that you take it easy."

"I will be the model patient," he grinned as he gave her a knowing wink.

**TBC. . .**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate hearing how much you've enjoyed my hard work.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Chuck stayed in the hospital in Prague for the next week. He tried to be the model patient he had promised Blair that he would be, but he was going stir crazy. What made things worse was that Blair didn't leave his side for anything other than to shower and change clothes.

"Serena left for France today," Blair announced as she fluffed his pillow for possibly the billionth time before she settled in her chair to eat the barely edible meal the nurses thoughtfully brought her. It was still hospital cafeteria food, so she had to work hard to choke it down and keep it down, but Chuck's encouragement helped, although the snarky comments about him being grateful that he couldn't stomach solid foods were not appreciated.

"Was she getting bored with the historic and picturesque scenery?" he inquired as he tried to distract her from the bite of food she was working on. He'd found over the week that carrying on a conversation had worked well to distract her and made the disgusting plate of food go down quicker and easier.

"Lack of prospects," she replied, "Men were falling at her feet, but she couldn't understand what they were saying. Apparently she has this thing about needing to understand the adoring compliments being showered upon her. Who knew?"

Chuck began laughing so hard he began to wince in pain.

"Deep breaths, Bass," she told him as he rode through the pain. He'd told her the day prior that he didn't want to take any more pain medication unless he absolutely had to. He could feel himself becoming addicted, and he knew he didn't need one more vice to suck him down into his usual self-destructive behavior.

"God, this hurts," he groaned as she took his hand to offer her encouragement.

"I'm sorry," she told him as she kissed his cheek lightly in hopes of apologizing for causing his most recent pain. His eyes closed reflectively to savor the feel of her warmth against him.

While they had agreed to put talk of their relationship on hold, neither shied away from showing the other affection, mostly in the form of kisses to the hands or cheeks, but there had been the occasional lingering kiss on the lips that always left them wanting more. Surprisingly, Chuck was always pulling away first.

While they didn't talk about their possible future or the past issues they needed to resolve, they still found plenty of things to talk about, none of which included the weather.

"Mister Bass, I have good news for you," Chuck's English speaking doctor told him as he came in to do his daily exam just has Chuck's stomach pain faded away for which he was grateful. His doctor would never agree to release him if he knew the level of pain he was still in, and he'd sworn Blair to secrecy. "I believe you will be able to be released tomorrow."

"That is most definitely the best of news," Chuck nodded. He was in desperate need of a change of scenery. He was allowed to take a few walks around the sterile corridors of the hospital, but that had done little to kill the boredom that had taken a hold of him. She was his only saving grace. If Blair hadn't been by his side, he would have surely lost him mind.

"You'll still need to take it easy. You are not healed by any sense of the definition, but I know you are preferring a more comfortable setting as you convalesce," the doctor added. "I must insist that you have weekly checkups with a licensed doctor, and that you avoid any strenuous activities until said physician clears it. No showers or bathes. You'll need to drink plenty of fluids and eat soft, easily digestible foods, things like baby food. Your stomach will be unable to process anything solid for quite awhile. You'll need someone with you at all times. You are still in jeopardy of opening your incision."

"I will have the most attentive nurse seeing to it that all of your instructions are followed to the letter," Chuck replied as he eyed Blair. She appeared to be making a list in her head of his doctor's instructions. He knew that as soon as the doctor was out the door, she would be typing all of her notes into her phone so that she could create a daily checklist. "Would it be possible to get you to release me a day early? It is after all only one day."

"One more night," the doctor told him as he wrote out his notes in Chuck's chart before he pocketed his pen in the breast pocket of his crisp white jacket.

Chuck was severely disappointed as evidenced by the frown on his face, but he would abide by the doctor's orders, realizing that he had no other option. Blair certainly would not allow herself to be swayed by his pleas no matter how persuasive his arguments would be. She still wasn't convinced that Chuck should be released at all. Had she been in a more familiar setting, she would have insisted they stay exactly where they were for as long as it took for him to get well.

"It appears I will need to employ a nurse for awhile," Chuck commented as his doctor exited the room. As he had expected, Blair had immediately flipped open her phone and was firing off notes at a furious rate. "I wonder where I could find one."

"Don't even try that with me, Bass," she replied as she kept her focus on her phone and what she was typing. "You know very well that I will be the one taking care of you."

"I didn't want to assume," he grinned devilishly.

"You assumed plenty," she paused for a moment to scowl at him.

"You don't have to take care of me," he responded sincerely, "I can go back to New York and hire a real nurse. If you're not comfortable with this."

"You can stop this nonsense right now," she told him as she closed her phone having finished her checklist so that she could focus solely on him and his deliciously handsome features. Spending so much time with him in the close quarters of his private room was having an effect on her that she wasn't ready for yet. She needed him in a way that scared her. He'd hurt her as deeply as anyone other had. She was a long way from forgiving him, but she knew she needed him in her life. "I'd never be able to enjoy France not knowing how your recovery is going, nor who is taking care of you. If you want me to take care of you, all you have to do is ask nicely."

"Will you do me the honor of taking care of me while I recover," he requested, his eyes as sincere as they were moments earlier as he took a hold her hand and caressed it gently with his thumb. She felt her heart melting under his gaze.

"Of course," she told him as she rose up from her chair to kiss what he was thought would be his cheek, but before he could react her lips were pressed against his. He responded immediately.

He knew this was a bad idea as her lips continued to seek his out as she sought to deepen the kiss. She felt so warm; her lips were so inviting. He sat forwards slightly in his bed as his fingers tangled in her hair holding her to him. She moaned softly in pleasure as her tongue ran along his lips begging for entrance. He granted her access before he had the chance to think it through. He needed her so much.

"Blair, we have to stop," he told her as he turned his head finally as his brain finally caught up to his lips. It took every ounce of strength that he had to not turn back and attack her lips with renewed vigor.

"Did I hurt you?" she inquired as she caressed his shoulder gently as she rested her head lightly against him.

"You could never," he assured her as he wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger, inhaling it's unique scent. "I want nothing more than to kiss you and make love to you, but it isn't a good idea. This isn't solving our issues."

"Nothing is resolving our issues," she pouted as she shifted on the bed so that she was laying fully next to him, tucking in tight against him in the tiny bed. "We aren't even talking about them. We're pretending they don't exist, and I'm happy to keep up that happy façade for the rest of our lives if you'll let me."

"I cannot let that happen," he assured her as his lips lingered against her forehead as he spoke, his breath warming her skin as he spoke. "I don't want any relationship that we may have to be built around that façade. I want a real relationship like what we had before I threw it all away on one gigantic mistake. We were happy and in love and ready and willing to take on the world together. I forgot that, and it cost me the most important thing in my world. I want that back, but to do so, I have to earn it. I can't do that yet. I can't even take care of myself at this moment."

"I'm going for a walk," she announced as she brushed away her tears as she climbed off the bed and smoothed her skirt down her hips. She paused to kiss his forehead before she left.

His eyes conveyed to her how sorry he was as she left the room. He immediately picked up the plastic cup nearest him and threw it across the room. Even while he was trying to do the right thing, he was hurting her. When was it going to stop?

**TBC. . .**

**Again I want to thank all of you who took a few moments to review. The words of encouragement mean a lot to me.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Where is Blair?" Lily inquired as she came to visit Chuck one final time before she was returning to New York. She'd gone with Serena to the airport to make sure she got off okay, now she was back for her daily visit with Chuck.

"She went for a walk," he responded as he gave Lily a dejected look.

"What is it, Charles?" Lily inquired. She could sense the young man needed someone other than Blair to talk to at the moment.

"I'm trying to do the noble thing," he huffed, "Like you suggested, I've told Blair that we should put off any relationship talk until I've recovered, but that turns out to be a lot harder to do than I originally planned. I love her in a way that consumes me. I want to be with her. I just want to put all the crap behind us and move on."

"You know you can't do that," Lily tried to convince him.

"I know," he sighed. "I just wish I had a time machine so that I could go back and undo everything. I would gladly trade my hotel to anyone if they could make that happen. I should have foreseen what would happen. I should have known that trading Blair to Jack for the hotel was going to end like this. I was too blindsided with rage to think it through. Jack knew exactly what he was doing, and he won."

"He hasn't won, Bass," Blair told him as she stepped into his room upon hearing his rant. "I'm still here."

"For how long?" he pressed as she took her seat in her usual chair and took his hand, "Until I can stand on my own two feet? Until I put one of those feet in my enormously large mouth? Until I find another way to hurt you? Because I will. Maybe I'm just too damaged. Maybe I should have given up when the bullet pierced the skin. It would have been better for everyone if I had just died."

Blair grabbed his face and roughly turned it towards her. "You listen to me, Bass! I do not want to hear you say something like that ever again. It would not have been better if you had died, for anyone, certainly not me. I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

"I'm going to hurt you again," he told her as he tried to avert his eyes so he would not have to look at her. He felt himself beginning to tear up, and he didn't want to shed tears in front of Lily. "It's not going to be intentional, but it's inevitable."

"The only thing that is inevitable is you and me," she told him as she continued to fight to get him to look into her eyes. "Are we going to have a few bumps in the road? Absolutely, we're too similar not to, but I want to work at it. I've wanted to give up on you, but I can't. I love you too much."

"Too much," he repeated as a rogue tear betrayed him as he finally gave into temptation and lost himself in her gauze, "Maybe that's the problem. Maybe too much is really too much. Maybe we do things that end up hurting each other because we believe that our love is strong enough to survive anything. We're wrong, Blair. We've done things that have hurt each other. We'll keep doing it."

"We're learning," she rationalized as she wiped away his tear lightly with her lips, "We're realizing that's not true. We know better now. We have limits. Don't give up on us, Bass. I need you in my life."

"Why are you fighting me on this?" he pressed as her lips continued to linger against his cheek, "I'm trying to do what you asked me to weeks ago. I want you to move on."

"I didn't mean what I said," she told him as she placed feather light kisses along his jawline, "I was still hurting. I was mad at you. Don't listen to what I said back then . . . listen to what I'm saying now." She punctuated her statement with another kiss to his lips, pleaded as she had earlier for entrance with her tongue, which he quickly granted as he began dueling with her for dominance.

A discreet cough pulled them from each other as they both remembered that Lily was still in the room with them.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Chuck stated as he caressed Blair's chin as she pulled away, her face crimson in color. She was so embarrassed at how caught up she was in the moment she was that she could forget her upbringing and what was proper in society. Chuck thought she'd never looked more beautiful.

Lily waved a hand to assure them both she wasn't offended in the slightest. She had never seen Chuck as emotional as he was with Blair at that moment, save for when his father had died. That was a different type of emotional. She liked this side that Blair brought out in him.

"Chuck has good news," Blair announced as she tried to change the subject.

"Really," Lily prompted him.

"I get to leave the hospital tomorrow," he replied as he caressed Blair's hand softly.

"So you can return to New York with me," Lily stated cheerfully as she pulled her cell phone from her purse, "I'll just call the airline and change my flight. I can stay an extra day."

"I'm going to Paris," he told her. He winced as he watched Lily's smile fade slightly. Her being here for him had meant the world to him, and he hated disappointing her so he quickly explained his decision. "It's just that Blair wants to make sure that I'm following the doctor's instructions."

"It's okay," Lily reassured him, "I suppose this shouldn't be much of a surprise. Of course, Blair is going to want to continue taking care of you. She's been doing an excellent job so far. I want you to call me every couple of days however to update me on your progress. I will not allow you to disappear for weeks on end anymore."

"Can I have a minute with Lily?" Chuck requested of Blair as he kissed her hand lightly. She nodded as she left the pair alone.

"When my father died, I was sure that he left me alone with nobody in this world that would look out or care about me. You made me see that wasn't true. I know I haven't made life easy for you, but I appreciate you being here, especially after what I did to Jenny. I'm sure Rufus was none too thrilled with you coming here for me," Chuck told her.

"When I signed those papers last year, you became my son," she told him as she wiped a tear out of her eyes. "What I would do for Serena and Eric, I would do for you. As far as what happened between you and Jenny, while Rufus and Daniel see it as you stealing her innocence. I have the benefit of being more objective because she isn't my own flesh and blood. Jenny has been looking for trouble for the past three years. From my standpoint you did nothing wrong. She had just as much a decision in what happened as you were. You did not force yourself on her."

"Rufus will never be able to look me in the eyes ever again," he replied as he looked down at his hands.

"You let me deal with Rufus," she told him, "You are welcome in my life and in my home whenever you please. Rufus knows this. If he has a problem with it, I'll handle him. I will not let him place all the blame for what happened on your shoulders."

"Would you pass along a message to Jenny for me?" he inquired. When Lily nodded he continued, "Tell her I'm sorry for what happened."

"I will tell her," Lily told him as she stood from her chair and kissed his forehead. "I hate this, but I have to leave. Promise me that you will take it easy."

He nodded. Lily then left just as Blair was returning.

"Take care of him, Dear," Lily insisted as she gave Blair's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I'll do my best," Blair assured her.

"I'll see you soon," Lily told her son, "Both of you."

"Are you okay?" Blair inquired as she sat next to him on his bed and followed his gaze out the door to Lily who was barely visible as she walked away.

"She's the closest thing I've ever had to a real mother . . . to a real parent actually. I was sure she would be out of my life after what happened with Jenny," he told her as he reached for Blair's hand and held it tightly in his. He felt it flinch as he mentioned Jenny's name, but she didn't pull away completely. "She doesn't blame me for what happened, at least not any more than she blames Jenny. She still wants me in her life. I didn't expect that."

"If she can forgive all of the crazy and out of control things that she has put up with from Serena for all these years, standing by you through this isn't much of a stretch for her," Blair tried to reassure him as she tried to discreetly brush away a tear.

"What is the first thing that you want to do when we get to Paris?" he inquired as he decided a change of subjects was in order.

"I want to sleep in a real bed," she moaned at the mere thought of it as she decided to lay out next to him once more. Having spent a week trying to sleep upright in an uncomfortable chair had taken its told on her. She would need a month of massages to work the kinks out of her back.

"That wasn't exactly the answer I was expecting," he chuckled with a half smirk, "What is the second thing you want to do when we get to Paris?"

"Have a decent breakfast at one of the sidewalk cafes along the Champs-Élyséees," she replied. Her mouth was watering with the prospect. She had no hope of the hospital food improving in the next day or so, if anything it was getting worse. Despite his noble and transparent attempts to distract her, the food was horrible.

"Still not what I was expecting," he continued to chuckle as his smirk grew wider. "The third?"

"Go for a long walk along the Seine River," she replied, "I've been cooped up inside for far too long."

"Still not the answer I'm looking for," he began laughing in earnest. He started to wince in pain as his movements pulled at his wound.

"Why don't you tell me which answer you're looking for before you open up that incision of yours," she suggested as she caressed his shoulder softly as she tried to coax him through the pain.

"Shopping," he gritted out.

"That's not even in the top ten for me right now," she told him as she watched him fight through the pain that didn't appear to be lessening. "Do you want me to call for the nurse? She can give you something."

"No more drugs," he shook his head stubbornly, "I just need a few moments."

She hated to see him in so much pain, but she had a lot of admiration for what he was trying to do. Chuck did self destruction better than anyone. For him to recognize that something was taking him down that path before he spiraled out of control was a giant leap for him.

"Maybe a few Advil or Tylenol would help," she suggested, "They're non-habit forming, and they are supposed to relieve pain."

"There is a reason they've been giving me morphine," he told her, "A few over the counter pain remedies are not going to touch this pain."

"Then you should take the morphine," she told him. "If you're in pain, you need to take it."

"I can't," he shook his head as he held firm in his resolve. The pain began to slowly subside and his breathing became easier.

"You are so stubborn sometimes," she hissed as she rose from his bed in a huff and plopped herself down in the chair.

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black," he chuckled slightly. Her only response was to glare at him as he winced once more in pain. "No more laughing," he announced, "It hurts too much."

**TBC. . .**

**Please review . . . I'll give you your reward much sooner. (How's that for a bribe?)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**For those of you who reviewed, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here is your reward.**

"Welcome to your new home," Blair announced as she and Chuck walked into her mother's apartment. Chuck could see how much more relaxed now that she was in familiar surroundings. Her entire posture relaxed the moment the wheels touched down on the Parisian runway.

Eleanor and Cyrus were staying in New York for the summer to be closer to their new goddaughter, so Blair and Serena had the entire apartment all to themselves.

"Serena, we're home." Blair called out. They were met with silence as she escorted Chuck to a nearby chair so he would sit down. He'd done far too much walking already that day. While he'd allowed her to wheel him around the airport in Prague, he decided to turn stubborn once they landed in Paris and insisted that he was fit enough to walk. They'd argued for a few minutes in full view of virtually everyone in the airport before she reluctantly relented. He was paying the price for it now as he was in serious pain.

"I guess Serena decided to vacate when she found out that I was coming," he concluded as she called out for her best friend once more only to be greeted by more silence.

"No, she was okay with this when I talked to her this morning," Blair shook her head as she set her carryon bag down at the entrance. "She must be out shopping or something."

"Is she really okay with this or are you being stubborn and not giving her any other option?" he inquired as he watched her remove her coat, exposing the nape of her neck to him for the briefest of moments. He inwardly groaned in displeasure at the fact he could taste her. He missed her so much. It hurt worse than the whole in his stomach.

"A little of both," she replied as she helped him to his feet so she could remove the coat she had bought him that morning.

The hotel he'd stayed in before he was assaulted had thought he'd abandoned his room and donated his clothes to charity, so she had gone out before Chuck was released and purchased him a brand new wardrobe. She was the first to admit that she'd gone overboard, but he looked absolutely dashing in the first ensemble she'd dressed him in. He was wearing charcoal grey, pinstriped pants, a light pink, button down, dress shirt, a darker pink ascot, and a matching charcoal grey, pinstriped vest. She'd even found a pinstriped summer coat to complete his look.

"She's mad at you because you hurt me, but if I'm willing to put up with you so is she," Blair continued on as she continued to admire her handy work.

"How reassuring," he grumbled, wincing in pain as his coat was removed.

"Remember what I said yesterday about what I wanted to do first when we arrived in Paris?" she inquired as she caressed his shoulder softly. She found that his pain subsided quicker when she was distracting him with her touch.

"Sleep in a real bed," he nodded. The suggested sounded heavenly even to him.

"How about it, Bass," she suggested, "I think it's time for both of us to lay down."

"Point me in the direction of my room," he requested.

"Follow me," she told him as she took his hand and walked him slowly into her bedroom.

"This is your room," he told her as he looked around to see the touches of herself everywhere. "I didn't think you and I would be sharing a room."

"We aren't," she told him, "I'll be staying with Serena in the guest room. Mother and Cyrus's room is off limits, so this is your only option."

"I'll take the guest room," Chuck offered, "You and Serena should stay in your room."

"If you were in better condition, I'd show you why you're staying in this room. Serena's clothes exploded out of her suitcase the moment she arrived in Paris. It's actually very difficult to see the floor. It is easier for me to move in with her, then for her to pack up all of her clothes and move in with me. Besides, this bed is much more comfortable for you. It's just the way I know you like it."

He thought about making some inappropriate comment, but he thought better of it. She was doing him a tremendous favor by looking after him as he recovered. The least he could do was be the gracious guest and keep his sarcasm to himself.

"Are you going to be okay sharing a room with Serena?" he pondered, "I know how uncomfortable you can get in an untidy living situation. Are you going to be able to handle it?"

"I'll manage," she shrugged as she walked him to the bed. "Now lay down and get some rest. I'll just be in the next room. If you need anything just call for me."

After he was tucked securely into the bed, she turned to leave. He called out for her at the door. "Thank you for doing this," he told her when she spun around to face him.

"You're welcome," she replied with a shy smile before she left his sight completely.

Upon entering Serena's room, she groaned at the discovery that her best friend's clothes seemed to have multiplied during their week away. The mess was worse than ever before. Had she not been so exhausted, she would have been disgusted. As it was, she fell onto the bed and into a sound sleep in mere moments.

* * *

"Rise and shine," Serena stated cheerfully as she hopped onto Chuck's bed with him still sound asleep.

Chuck let out a guttural groan as his incision felt like it was ripping apart. "What the hell is a matter with you, van der Woodsen?" he hissed as he clutched at his stomach in great discomfort.

"Oh my god!" Serena exclaimed when he pulled his hand away slightly to see the deep crimson color of blood covering one of his fingers. "What do we do? Do we call for an ambulance? What?"

"Calm down," he commanded her as she was nearly hyperventilating at the sight of the blood. "Go get Blair. The doctor gave her instruction on what to do if something like this happened. She's already read and discarded the information, so she's my only option at the moment."

Serena dashed out of the bedroom and began frantically shaking her best friend out of the deep slumber.

"B!" Serena exclaimed as Blair mumbled something incoherent as she was on the verge of waking, "You need to get up. Chuck's bleeding. I did something really stupid and jumped on his bed. I didn't know I'd open his wound. You have to help him!"

"That really is your natural hair color isn't it," Blair exclaimed with wide eyes as she rushed out of bed. This was such a typical and stupid move from her blonde best friend. "Go get my carryon bag by the front door. The hospital gave me all sorts of medical supplies before we left this morning. I'll need them."

Serena did an about-face just as they were entering Blair's bedroom where Chuck was cursing up a storm in discomfort.

"How bad is it?" Blair inquired as she rushed to his side and began lifting his newly purchased shirt up to reveal his stomach. She'd always turned her head whenever he was being examined in the hospital. She recoiled at the sight, as it was the first time she'd seen his wound. The stitches had done their job and the wound was mostly healed, but the doctors had thought it was best to keep them in a little while longer, as Chuck appeared to be a slow healer. The wound was still an angry red color.

"Not bad, I think," he told her, "I think the bleeding has already stopped. I'm going to kill that best friend of yours however."

"You will not," she scolded him as she tried to ignore the turning of her stomach, "She feels really bad about this."

"She should," he snarled, "What the hell was she thinking?"

"She's Serena," Blair reminded him, "Most of what she does is done before the hamster can jump onto the wheel."

"How the hell did she ever get into Brown," he continued to spew his venom. He was in pain. He needed to lash out at someone. Right now his target was her best friend. "Did she sleep with the Dean of Admissions or something?"

"I'll have you know, I did outstanding on my SATs," Serena chimed in defensively as she handed Blair her bag.

"Didn't Chuck hire someone to take that test for you?" Blair inquired as she began pulling out supplies that she needed to take care of Chuck.

"I took them again," Serena replied as she turned away from the gruesome scene. She hated the sight of blood, especially when she was the cause. "I did almost as well as the girl he paid off."

Serena heard Chuck's sharp intake of breath as Blair used an alcohol wipe to remove the blood that was covering his stomach so she could see if indeed Chuck was still bleeding or not.

"That's cold, Waldorf," he hissed softly, "And it stings."

"Quit being such a baby," she rolled her eyes as she applied a piece of gauze to the incision to see if more blood would seep out. A drop or two more trickled out, but that was the extent of the damage, so there was no need to take him to the hospital.

"Suddenly I'm relieved that you had such an enormous crush on Noah Wylie when you were younger," he told her as she began re-bandaging him gently. "You used to watch 'ER' religiously because of it."

"I thought it was George Clooney," Serena chimed in as she felt it safe for her to turn around.

"That was you, S," Blair reminded her.

"What about that handsome Croatian that came on a few seasons later," Serena suggested.

"Still you," Blair replied.

"And that dude from Full House?" Serena inquired.

"Still you," Blair shook her head in amusement.

"Jesus, how long did you two watch that show?" Chuck cursed.

"I stopped watching about the time high school rolled around," Blair told him, "Serena apparently hung on for much longer. Some of us felt it was a waste of time to turn our brains into a pile of goo watching nonsensical television shows such as those."

"'ER' was educational," Serena stated defensively, "It taught me how to do CPR."

"No, it taught you how to open mouth kiss," Blair prompted her as she continued to re-bandage Chuck's wound. "For CPR the person is supposed to be unconscious and not breathing. When your mouth is on theirs, you're supposed to blow air into their lungs not suck it out."

"You two need to stop right now," Chuck insisted as he winced in pain as he chuckled at their playful teasing, "Laughing hurts."

"All better," Blair announced as she put the last piece of tape into place before she began unbuttoning his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Serena gasped, "If a little jumping up and down caused that bleeding, I don't think sex is a good idea."

"He needs a clean shirt," Blair snapped as she motioned towards the bloodstain on the shirt. "Sex is the last thing on my mind right now."

"Still first on mine," he smirked devilishly.

"Always has been," she sent a sarcastic grin in his direction before she slapped his shoulder lightly. "You promised to behave."

"And I believe I am living up to that promise," he continued to grin, "I'm just making conversation as you undress me."

"I'm just taking off your shirt," she reminded him as she rolled her eyes.

"Shirt, pants, whatever you must," he continued to chide her playfully. "All I ask is that you be gentle."

"Get your mind out of the gutter," she instructed him as the last button came free allowing her to peel the garment from his body. "S, can you see if my luggage has arrived yet from the airport. The clothes I purchased for Chuck should be inside."

"It's not here yet," Serena recalled. She would have seen it when she went to get Blair's carryon earlier.

"Fantastic," Blair muttered as she eyed his bare chest. Even with the bandage covering his stomach, the sight of him without a shirt turned her on more than she wanted to admit.

Chuck studied her darkening irises for a moment before it dawned on him what was churning through her mind. Had it been a few months earlier, he would have teased her for being so insatiable, but it wasn't so he let it go and allowed her to look without comment.

"You should get some rest," Blair told Chuck suddenly as she tore her gaze away from him as her fingers itched to run through his chest hairs.

"I was trying to until someone rudely awoke me," he glared at Serena.

"She won't be doing that again," Blair assured him as she pushed on his shoulder so that he would lay back. Her fingers lingered against his skin longer than necessary. "Rest, Serena and I are going to the market. Someone is on a special diet that we are not equipped to accommodate. If you need anything, here is my cell phone. Just call Serena."

"Where is Chuck's phone?" Serena inquired. Like herself, his phone was his most essential accessory.

"I was mugged remember," Chuck reminded her, "They took my phone, my cash, my jewelry . . ." He trailed off when he remembered the one item he had fought the criminals for. Knowing that ring was in the hands of some low life hurt worse that the hole in his gut. He would spend the rest of his life and every dollar in his bank account trying to track that ring down if he had to.

"You okay?" Blair inquired as she brought him back to the present when his thoughts drifted.

"Just tired," he covered.

"Sleep," she instructed him as she pulled the bedcovers over him so that he would not get a chill. "Call me if you need anything. We won't be gone long."

He nodded as she bent over and kissed his lips gently. Her irises were dilated even more when she pulled away, but still he said nothing.

**TBC. . .**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

I realized a few days ago that today was going to be a day of celebration – One year ago today I posted my very first story on , 'The First Day of the Rest of His Life'. What started out as a dream I couldn't get out of my head, has evolved into this. What a year it has been. I wanted to take this moment to thank all of you for the wonderful words of encouragement that you have given me through out this year. I would not have done this without you.

**Without any further delay – on with the show:**

"How is he doing, really?" Serena inquired as they walked through the market and picked up all of the necessary items they needed for Chuck.

"He's in a lot of pain, even before your little jump on the bed, and he's refusing to take anything to make the pain go away," Blair replied as she began rifling through the selection of pureed baby food looking for things that Chuck might actually tolerate.

"I feel so bad about that," Serena admitted, "I thought that if he was out of the hospital that his wound would have been healed."

"It's only been ten days," Blair replied, "He's going to need at least a few months before he's back to being his old self."

"What happens then?" Serena inquired, "After he's done convalescing, where will that leave the two of you?"

"Then the hard part starts," Blair admitted, "He doesn't want to do anything while he's recovering, but once he's better we've agreed to try and repair our relationship."

"Are you sure about this?" Serena pressed, "What he did was truly awful, even for Chuck. Is it even possible to repair?"

"I was ready to forgive him for Jack when we were supposed to meet at the top of the Empire State Building," she pointed out. "I got over him hooking up with Vanessa. What is really so different about him and Humphrey?"

"The difference is, you weren't on your way to getting back together with him when he slept with Vanessa, and it's Jenny Humphrey for crying out loud," Serena replied.

"She doesn't mean anything to him," Blair shook her head. "He thought I hadn't shown up. He thought we were done forever. He was doing what he always does; he was self-destructing. How can I be mad at him for that?"

"How can you not be mad at him for that!" Serena exclaimed. "You weren't even that late. It took him less than an hour to get drunk, seduce Jenny, take her virginity, and then discard her."

"We don't know what happened," Blair rationalized. "I need to give him the benefit of the doubt on this."

"He doesn't deserve it!" Serena exclaimed. She was so loud that the other patrons in the store were now looking at the pair with distain.

"Then tell me what happened," Blair demanded, "You seem to know more than me, so if I'm making such a colossal mistake give me all the facts."

"I don't have any," Serena admitted softly, "All I have is what Dan has told me. I haven't spoken to Jenny."

"What did Dan tell you?" Blair pressed.

"He said that Jenny had been upset. She went to the Empire looking for Nate and found Chuck instead. They slept together. End of story," Serena explained.

"No, not end of story," Blair shook her head, "There is so much missing to that story that I need to hear."

"He took her virginity, B!" Serena exclaimed.

"He took mine too," Blair hollered, "That doesn't make him the bad guy in this. It took two people to have sex. Jenny was there too."

"I don't think Jenny was a willing participant," Serena spoke tentatively. She knew her best friend was upset, but she needed to know the truth. "He tried to force himself on her before."

"A long time ago," Blair added.

"He tried to force himself on me," she added in little more than a whisper.

"When?" Blair gasped.

"Just after I returned from boarding school," Serena explained, "I was drinking at the bar in the Palace. He happened upon me and took me back into the kitchen to get some food in me so that I would sober up. That was when he tried to . . ."

"Then what happened," Blair pressed. She wasn't going to let her friend finish the story right there.

"Nothing," Serena replied, "I pushed him away, kneed him in the groin, and then ran off."

"He's always the villain, isn't he," Blair mused, "He tries to make it impossible for me. Well, I have news for both you and Chuck. I've always known what type of man he is. This news doesn't surprise me. What surprises me is that you didn't just let him have his way."

"Come on, B, that's not fair," Serena replied, "I was the victim."

"You are a lot of things, S, but victim has never been one of them," Blair snapped as she filled up the rest of her basket before turning sharply on her heel and leaving Serena standing in the aisle alone.

* * *

"Did you force yourself on, Serena?" Blair ragged as she stormed into her bedroom where Chuck was resting comfortably.

"What?" he responded in confusion.

"When she returned from boarding school, did you try to have sex with her?" Blair snarled.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Because she was begging you for it, and doing what she always does to tempt guys, right," Blair insisted.

"No," he shook his head, "She wasn't begging for it. She was barely conscious."

"How could you do that?" Blair hollered as tears streamed down her cheek. "How could you do that to me?"

"That was way before I thought I'd have any shot with you," he tried to explain. "You were still trying to force a happily ever after onto Nate at that point. For all I knew, the two of you were going to be engaged by Christmas that year."

"I thought you were the one person that chose me over Serena," Blair gritted her teeth. "Now I find out this. Everything I've ever thought about us has been a lie."

"Nothing about you and me is a lie. If I'd had any hope that I'd get to spend even just one night with you I wouldn't have gone within a hundred yards of Serena. Do you know how horrible I felt about that night?" he insisted. "I've known Serena for as long as I've known you. She's my stepsister for crying out loud."

"You wanted her over me," she choked out in a way that broke his heart.

"I wanted a warm body," he clarified, "It could have been anybody that night. Serena was there; she was drunk. I was horny, so I swooped in."

"Have you ever slept with Serena?" she pressed.

"I've never had sex with Serena," he replied with conviction.

"Did you force yourself on Jenny?" Blair whispered, her eyes closing as she couldn't bear to look at him as she waited for him answer.

"At the Kiss on the Lips Party, yes, I tried," he confirmed. She already knew the answer to this question. Why did she need him to confirm it?

"I'm talking about a few weeks ago," she hissed. "Did you force yourself on her then?"

"No," he replied solemnly, "I gave her several chances to not follow through. She was hurting. I felt like dying. It just happened. I didn't plan for it, but it did."

"Was she still there when I showed up at your place?" she asked.

"Yes," he confirmed, "I offered to let her spend the night. She didn't seem to have anywhere else to go, and she was really upset about what she'd just done. I felt horrible, so I let her stay."

"Would you have ever told me if Dan hadn't done it first?" she asked.

"Not that night, but yes, I think I would have," he nodded hesitantly. He was almost certain he would have told her.

"You think," she hissed. His answer wasn't good enough for her. She needed to know if he'd keep something that monumental from her.

"I'm trying to be honest. I can't say with one hundred percent certainty that I would have told you, but I have to believe that my love for you would force myself to be honest with you," he explained. "I was and still am trying to restore your trust in me, so I don't think I would have kept this from you. You would have found out eventually. Nothing stays a secret in our circle for long. It would have been best for you to hear it from me."

"So you could put your own little spin on it," she hissed.

"So I could let you know that it meant absolutely nothing to me. Jenny was just another in the long line of bad mistakes that I've made since I've lost you," he told her. "The only difference between her and the other woman is that we both know her name."

"Did you ever sleep with any of my minions?" she inquired.

"God, no," he scoffed, "They never held any fascination to me."

"Penelope said," she began.

"Penelope was lying," he told her, "She certainly wanted to, throwing herself at me every chance she had, but I didn't."

Blair then threw herself against him on her bed, curling against him. She heard him groan in protest but she couldn't stop herself from being in his arms. She needed his familiar heat. She needed to hear his heartbeat. She needed him.

"You're not mad about Jenny, are you," he concluded as he held her close.

"I'm mad," she contradicted him, "But she's not really the issue keeping us apart. She isn't the reason I walked away."

"You may say it, but you weren't ready to forgive me for what happened with Jack," he told her.

"No, I wasn't," she agreed, "Perhaps I'm still not. Getting back together that night would have been a very bad idea. I suppose Humphrey did us a favor. We would have self destructed almost immediately."

Chuck nodded but remained silent. The rest of this conversation needed to wait.

* * *

"I thought you told B about what happened between us ages ago," Chuck stated as Serena sat down next to him after she'd had a long drawn out talk with Blair in which Blair apologized for what she said in the market.

"No," Serena shook her head. "That wasn't a great time for me."

"I certainly didn't help matters," Chuck rolled his eyes.

"If I hadn't been able to push you away and then knee you in the groin, would you have gone through with it?" Serena inquired.

"Probably," he nodded, "It wasn't exactly a good time for me either."

"Do you feel bad about what you did?" Serena inquired.

"To you or to everyone else?" he asked for clarification.

"To everyone, including me," Serena clarified.

"I do now," he told her sincerely. "I never really apologized for what happened that night. I am sorry."

"And you and Jenny," Serena pressed, "Did she really consent?"

He nodded.

"Dan thinks you forced yourself on her," Serena admitted, "Rufus probably does too."

"Lily doesn't," Chuck replied.

"I guess my mother knows you better than I do," Serena replied, "I thought you did too."

"I can't really blame you for thinking the worst of me," Chuck conceded, "I haven't been a model citizen."

"I'm sorry for making trouble between you and Blair," she apologized, "You two have enough to deal with without me throwing in my ancient crap."

"You haven't done anything that you need to apologize for," he reasoned with her. "I did all of this. I now must own up to it. If I want Blair to ever trust me ever again, she needs to know everything."

"I haven't been very supportive of your attempt to reconcile with Blair," Serena confessed. "I didn't think you deserved a second chance, or a third, or whatever you are on. I don't think that anymore. Whatever you need from me, I'll do it."

"Just be there for Blair," he told her, "If I do this the right way, the way it needs to be done, she's going to be angry and hurt, and she'll need someone to go to. She'll turn to you. I don't expect you to be one my side through any of this. I just need to know that she has someone she can count on."

"I will be there," Serena assured him.

"Thank you," he replied with a slight yawn.

"I should let you sleep," Serena stated as she squeezed his hand gently. "Blair went for a bite to eat and then a walk. I said I'd look after you until she gets back. If you need anything let me know."

"Just send Blair back to me when she returns," Chuck requested, "This room is a little drafty. Her body heat is good at keeping me warm."

"I will," Serena nodded as she left him to rest.

**TBC. . .**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**Long chapter coming. I thought about breaking this up, but I just couldn't do that to my faithful readers. I hope you enjoy.**

Blair was in heaven as she drank coffee at her and Serena's café, and then as she walked along the river. It had been so long since she'd done something for herself. Her thoughts drifted to the conversation she'd had with Serena at the market earlier, and then later her talk with Chuck. She couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth in regards to her defense of him. Of course she was mad at him for sleeping with Jenny, wasn't she?

Despite what he said, Jenny wasn't just another one of his drunken mistakes. Jenny was a friend, someone that he had a connection to, albeit a strange one she couldn't comprehend. Now they had this new connection, the same one that he had with her. Blair didn't want to have to compete.

She was supposed to be special to him, the one that he'd de-virginized and then fell in love with. Then she remembered one simple thing. He loved her. She had the one bond that no other one-night encounter could or would ever have, his heart. It wasn't him taking her virginity that bonded them together. It was everything that happened after. Jenny Humphrey wasn't competition. There was no competition. She'd already won everything that was worth winning.

It took a lot of inner thought, but she finally realized what she was really mad about, and it was the same thing she'd been mad about when they first broke up. Chuck traded her to his uncle like some common whore. She knew she deserved better than that. She was the love of his life. How could he risk what they had for something so stupid as a hotel? If he'd been willing to do that, what else would he be willing to trade her for if the price was right?

"Excuse me," a young gentleman, in his very earlier twenties, stated as he approached Blair, pulling her from her thoughts, with a map in hand as she began her walk back. He had a deer in headlights look on his face. "Do you speak English?"

"I am American," Blair assured the man as she took in his features while wiping the tears away discreetly. He was handsome, but in a subtle way. He had light brown hair, and deep green eyes with a healthy tan. He was tall, but not lanky, muscular but not bulky. He was the type of man she had envisioned herself finding this summer. He was complete opposite of Chuck in his polo shirt and khaki cargo short.

"I am so lost," the young man admitted as his eyes showed how grateful he was to find someone to which he was able to communicate with. "Would you be able to point me in the direction of the Notre Dame Cathedral?"

"I was actually walking in that direction," Blair replied, "I'd be happy to show you."

"You are an angel," he replied. Now that he was headed in the right direction, he took a few moments to take in Blair's appearance. An angel was an accurate description for the woman walking next to him. "I'm Sam."

"Blair," she responded as she shook his hand that was extended to her. "What brings you to Paris, Sam?"

"I wanted one great European adventure before I sign my life away to study law at Columbia," he told her as they began walking. "I'm beginning law school there in the fall."

"Me too, not to study law though, still working on my undergraduate degree," Blair smiled, "What a small world."

"Will you be a freshman?" he inquired.

"Sophomore," she corrected him, "I went to NYU my first year, but it wasn't a good fit. One of my good friends already goes to Columbia."

"What brings you to Paris?" Sam inquired.

"My mother and her husband live in Paris, but they are back in New York at the moment. My best friend and I wanted to spend a summer together, and Paris seemed like the ideal place," she told him, "Next to New York City, it is my favorite place in the world."

"Where is the best friend of yours?" he inquired as he looked around curiously.

"She's at my mother's apartment," Blair replied.

"I take it this isn't your first time in Paris," he assumed.

"Correct," Blair nodded, "Paris has always been my second home."

"Perhaps you'd consent to be my tour guide," he asked hopefully. "I'll be in Paris for another three days."

"I'm not available," Blair shook her head.

"Of course," he replied, "You have plans with your friend. Bring her along. I'd be happy to meet her."

"It's not that," Blair responded, "At least it's not only that. Serena would be fine if I blew her off for a guy, but I'm not so sure Chuck would appreciate it."

"Chuck," he repeated as his eyes portrayed the disappointment he felt. "Your boyfriend?"

"It's complicated," Blair replied.

"How is it complicated? Either he's your boyfriend or not," Sam stated as he studied her posture. Even after only a few minutes together he could tell how conflicted she was about the relationship she had with the man she was referencing.

"We're still trying to figure that out," Blair replied, "It's . . ."

"Complicated," he finished for her as bitterness crept into his voice. "That's too bad. We could have had a good time together."

"Had we met in another time and a different place perhaps things might be different, but right now I owe it to myself and Chuck to see this through," she explained.

"So I guess getting your number back in New York will be out of the question," he concluded.

"Yes," she nodded, "I'm sorry."

Sam stopped walking. "Could you just point me in the direction of the Cathedral?" he requested. "I think I can manage it from here."

"It's half a kilometer in this direction. Look for the gargoyles. You cannot miss it," Blair told him.

"Thank you, Blair," he replied.

"Enjoy Paris," she told him, "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"I will," he nodded as she continued walking.

It suddenly dawned on her how much he reminded her of Nate. She was nearly laughing at the realization. She was intrigued by him because he was safe as Nate had been. She was reverting back to her high school ways. That was definitely not the solution to her problems.

As she continued on, she thought through the conversation she had with the young man from moments earlier. She kept thinking she should be bothered by how he'd abruptly ended their interaction.

The reason she and Serena had come to France was to have a grand adventure and to prove to themselves that true love was real and out there somewhere. This handsome and obviously intelligent man approaches her out of the blue who just so happens to be attending her same school in the fall to study law no less, and all she kept thinking about as she talked to the man was that Chuck was at home waiting for her and now anxious she was to get back to him. She picked up her pace a little as she hurried back to the apartment.

* * *

"Did Chuck behave while I was gone?" Blair inquired as she returned to her mother's penthouse, setting down her purse on the table as Serena greeted her eagerly at the door, almost like an overeager puppy greeting their master.

"He's been asleep since you left," Serena assured her as she began gathering her purse and summer jacket as she prepared to leave. She was going stir crazy at being inside on such a pleasant afternoon. "He asked me to send you his way when you returned. He mentioned something about you being effective at keeping him warm as there is a draft in his room."

"Where are you going?" Blair inquired.

"Shopping," Serena replied, "I saw the most adorable shoes yesterday on the flight attendant. She said she got them at a little boutique here in Paris. I'm determined to search them out to see if they are available in my size. I'll be back later."

"Have fun," Blair waved her off as she turned to walk back to her bedroom where Chuck was sound asleep. She kicked off her heels and climbed in under the covers with him, curling up against him so they could share body heat.

Chuck mumbled something incoherent as he kissed her forehead before he returned to his peaceful slumber. The security of his embrace lulled Blair into a much needed deep sleep.

Chuck awoke with a brilliant smile on his face as Blair continued to sleep against him. He wondered how long he'd been asleep, and how long she'd been laying next to him. He was brought back to the wonderful months they had together before he had messed everything up. He'd taken this feeling for granted . . . never again he vowed.

"How long have you been awake?" she inquired sleepily as she opened her eyes to see him staring lovingly at her.

"Not long," he told her as he ran his fingers through her hair, enjoying the silkiness of the strands as they sifted through his fingers. "How was your walk along the river?"

"Heavenly," she sighed, "It's a beautiful early summer day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Paris was sparkling."

"When I'm able to move around more, we'll have to take a walk together," he told her.

"Speaking of moving around," she responded as she sat up and moved away from him. He felt the loss of her body heat immediate as a chill hit him, sending a shiver down his spine and a pain to his stomach. "The doctor said you should be up and walking around every couple of hours. How about a few laps around the apartment?"

He tried to hide his disappointment as she rose up from the bed, but he was not successful as she caught his slight frown. She didn't wait for his answer as she pulled back the bed sheets and hauled him to his feet. After putting him in a new shirt from the selection she'd purchased earlier, they began their journey.

"We'll take this slow. No more marathons through the airport," she told him.

He nodded as she put his arm around her shoulder as they began their leisurely stroll. It was slow going, and he felt the pull at his stomach with each step, but he was determined to grit it out even if he had to clench his teeth through the entire jaunt. He needed to get better as fast as he could. He needed to put things right.

"Chuck, we should stop," Blair insisted after several trips around the apartment.

"One more lap," he shook his head.

"You don't need to push yourself," she told him.

"One more lap," he spoke with determination. He wasn't going to give up. If he had to, he'd take his last lap without her.

"Stubborn," she muttered as she gave in and went with him. She knew he'd never make it without her. He nearly collapsed in pain when she got him back into the bedroom, but she had enough strength in her body to get him back into bed. "Will you listen to me next time?" she insisted as he fell onto the soft mattress, groaning in further pain.

"I've always listened to you," he insisted, "I just haven't always followed your advice. Although I really should listen to you more. I'd be in a lot less pain right now if I did."

She decided to take pity on him and let to conversation end.

"What would you like to eat?" she inquired as she felt her stomach rumble. If she was hungry, he had to be starving given what little he was allowed to eat.

"What are my options?" he asked curiously. He knew she'd gone to the market to get foods that he could eat, but hadn't known what she had purchased.

"Applesauce, pureed bananas, carrots, peaches, pears, squash, sweet potatoes," she began listing.

"Applesauce will be fine," he told her as she appeared to be ready and able to keep up a steady list if he didn't stop her.

"I will be right back," she told him as she spun on her toes. She was back just as quickly as she left with a jar in one hand and a spoon in the other. She twisted the lid off as she sat down next to him, preparing to feed him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he inquired as she held the spoon full of sauce to his lips, expecting him to eagerly accept it. "I can feed myself."

"Don't be such a baby," she rolled her eyes as she continued to hold the spoon to his lips.

"Then don't treat me like one," he demanded as his hand closed around hers to return the spoon to the container before he pried it from her hand gently.

"I'm just trying to help you," she spoke softly.

"I know," he assured you, "And I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything you are doing for me, but there are some things that I need to do for myself. Next to holding my own dick when I urinate, feeding myself this pureed baby mush is about all I can do. I don't want to feel helpless."

She nodded in understanding. She'd let him win this battle. He'd been a fiercely independent man for most of his life, he had to as he'd been virtually on his own since he was a little boy. Letting her into his world when he was healthy had been difficult enough. Now he had to rely on her for everything. As much as he loved her, he's never wanted to give her this much control over him. It scared him mostly because he didn't know if and when she'd up and walk away.

"I have something else for you," Blair announced as she disappeared suddenly once he was finished eating.

"You keep disappearing on me," he told her when she returned with her hands behind back. His eyes had a slightly panicked look to them, as if he expected her to not return. He didn't like it when she left abruptly.

"Never permanently," she tried to reassure him.

"What are you hiding from me?" he inquired as he tried to peer around her as he caught a familiar sparkle in her eyes.

"I know how stir crazy you were getting in the hospital. The change of scenery will help, I'm sure, but you're still confined to a small area. I got bought you something to help pass the time," she explained as she produced a small stack of books.

"Ivan Turgenev," he read one of the authors. "I've never heard of him."

"I hadn't either," she admitted, "After a lengthy discussion about you and your likes and dislikes, the man in the book shop assured me that this would be right down your alley."

"I'll give it a try," he told her as he flipped through the first few pages.

"What would you like to do now?" she inquired as an awkward silence suddenly filled the room as he continued to browse through his new book. "Serena will be gone for a few hours, I'm sure. We should probably get your sponge bath done before she returns. That could be a little awkward if she decided to walk in middle of it."

"Blair, are you trying to get me out of my clothes," he teased.

"I'm trying to keep you clean and healthy," she replied as a blush crept up her cheeks. "Besides, I bought you some silk pajamas that I know you'll be more comfortable in."

"A bath actually sounds like heaven right now," he admitted.

"I'll go get the supplies that I picked up at the market," Blair replied. She almost sounded excited about this. That made them both a little nervous. This could open up a whole new can of worms that they were not ready for. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll start on this book," he told her. He discovered that the book was actually a collection of the author's shorter works. He began with one of the shorter stories as he waited for Blair to return. He could tell the story was translated from Russian to English, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.

"Alright, Bass," Blair announced herself as she returned to the bedroom loaded down with supplies after about fifteen minutes of debating whether or not she could get through this. He quickly set the book aside.

"Are you sure you're comfortable with this?" he inquired as he watched her hands shake slightly as she set down the water basin next to him. "I'm sure I can manage myself."

"No, it's okay," she shook him off as she began to unbutton his shirt, "I can do this. It's not like I'm seeing something I haven't before."

"That was before," he insisted as he reached out to still her hand. "We were in a relationship then. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. You don't need to do this."

"We can be adults about this," she insisted as she continued her task of unbuttoning his shirt with a renewed self-confidence.

"I may react to your touch," he told her as he lifted her hands to his lips briefly to kiss each one.

"I have cold water. I won't hesitate in dumping it over you," she told him without missing a beat.

"Please do. It will put me out of my misery," he chuckled as he sat up slightly to aid her in removing his shirt.

Blair kept his pants on as she went to work. She was slow and deliberate as she washed both his chest and back. The soft sponge cleansing his skin did indeed feel like heaven. For the most part she kept her eyes averted from his body. The room was completely silent except for the occasional groan that escaped from him whenever he had to move in a way that pulled at his wound quickly followed by an apology on her part. When she began going over parts of his chest for the second and then third time he spoke up, startling her from her thoughts.

"Time to remove the pants?" he inquired as his eyes locked with hers. She nodded as she bit her lip nervously. "You don't have to do this," he reminded her.

"It's okay," she assured him as her hands went to the waistband of his pants and began working the button and zipper. She was surprised and relieved to discover that he was wearing the boxers she had purchased for him. She knew he didn't like undergarments, but she had purchased them anyways in the off chance he'd wear them.

She went to work on cleansing his lower extremities, but she quickly realized that she was delaying the inevitable, so she hooked her fingers in the waistband of his boxers and slid them down. Instead of averting her eyes this time, they settled immediately on his groin, staring at the organ until she felt comfortable proceeding.

"Are you okay, Beautiful?" he inquired as her hands shook as she went to work once again. Her touch was much more delicate than it had been throughout the rest of the bath.

"I've never touched you in a non-sexual way before," she spoke softly as she continued to stare at him as her hands continued their task.

"I won't bite," he chuckled.

"I might," she smirked as she looked up suddenly into his eyes.

He bit back a sarcastic reply as he felt the familiar stirring as she began to use a little more pressure. His mind began to race as he tried to find a way to stop himself, trying to find the one thing that would keep him from embarrassing both himself and her.

A sudden moan escaped from his lips that surprised them both. It became a trigger setting them both in motion as her lips descended upon his. Her tongue plunged into his mouth before he had a moment to protest, not that he would have. The sponge fell out of her hands, and the basin of water tumbled to the floor with a thud that neither heard. All they could hear were the moans of pleasure and the sounds of the lips and tongues working together. Soon she was straddling him as her skirt was hiked up high around her waist, the beginnings of his erection pressing against the damp panties covering her entrance. Even in his lustful mind, he heard himself screaming to stop before they went too far. She simply felt too good, tasted too wonderful, smelt too enticing to resist.

"Chuck," she moaned as she gasped for breath momentarily, "Please."

What was she pleading for? They both wondered as her hips surged forward, creating a delicious friction they both so desperately needed. Chuck sat up, ignoring the intense pain in his abdomen while tangling his fingers in her hair and holding her closer. Her hips rocked against his again sending his hands lowered, taking a hold of her waist.

Suddenly her cell phone chirped to life, breaking them out of their trance as they froze against each other. Each was waiting for the other to react so they could determine how to proceed.

"It's probably Serena," Blair spoke reluctantly, "She's probably calling to tell me she found the shoes she was scavenging for."

"Do you need to answer it?" he inquired as his hands twitched against her hips.

"No," she shook her head as she gave him a teasing half smirk. "She can leave a message." She then dove in against his lips once more, her intensity as fierce as it had been moments earlier. They could feel how frantic each other was with need. All their pent up lust was spilling out. They needed each other desperately. Silence filled the room again as her phone stopped ringing finally. Chuck's hands left her hips and began working the buttons of her blouse open.

Her phone came to life once more. They both groaned in disappointment.

"You need to get that," Chuck told her as he collapsed back against the soft pillows. "She's going to keep calling until you do. There must be some ridiculously good sale."

"I'm going to kill her," Blair growled as she reluctantly climbed off him and snatched her phone just as the last notes faded out before it went to voicemail. "What?" she barked into the phone.

"Blair, it's Nate," her ex stated, "You're probably going to hate me for calling but . . ."

"You have no idea right now," she hissed as she looked lustfully towards Chuck.

"You probably can't help me, in fact I don't even know why I'm calling but . . ." he rambled along.

"Spit it out, Archibald," she demanded.

"I've been trying to get a hold of Chuck for over two weeks now. I've left hundreds of messages on his phone, and he hasn't called me back. I was wondering if he's been in touch with you at all," Nate replied as the worry in his voice became evident. "Like I said, you probably can't help me. It's ridiculous of me to call you."

"Stop rambling," Blair cut him off, "He's right here."

"HE'S WITH YOU!" Nate shouted in surprise. Blair had to pull the phone away from her ear to avoid blowing out her eardrums. Chuck could practically hear his best friend's surprise from across the Atlantic without the benefit of the telephone.

"I'll let him explain," Blair replied as she handed the phone to Chuck. Her eyes settled on his erection, eying it longingly as he began his explanation to his best friend.

"Start talking, Man," Nate demanded as Chuck pulled the bed sheet over his body. It did nothing to hide his erection, but it did appear to remove the temptation as he began his explanation. Blair smoothed out her skirt and re-buttoned her blouse before she tended to the puddle of water on the carpeted floor. His eyes followed her as she moved around the room, the longing in them unmistakable.

Blair was in the bathroom when the tears came. She couldn't stop herself as soon she crumbled into a heap on the tiled floor as her heart breaking sobs took hold. She lost all concept of time as need for him turned into a pain too much for her to take. She didn't hear him approach until he touched her shoulder gently, startling her.

He had managed to slide into his boxers on his own, but it had taken its toll as he was in obvious pain.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized as she rose to her feet quickly as she tried to push the tears from her eyes. "I should never have taken it that far."

"I started it," she rationalized.

"But you're obviously hurting," he told her as he caressed her forearm softly, his gentle eyes holding her gaze to him even though she knew she should look away.

"It hurts so much to be near you, and not be with you," she explained as she began crying again, this time against his bare chest as she wrapped her arms around him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he reassured her as his arms held her close. Unshed tears built in his eyes. One day, hopefully very soon, he'd been able to do what was necessary. They would talk everything out, and if she could still stand the sight of him after everything, they could work towards rebuilding what they had, but for now all he could do was listen to her cries and it broke his heart.

"You're bleeding," she realized suddenly.

"It's not bad," he assured her. Upon inspection, he was correct. She just needed to redress the wound and get him back to bed.

"How's Nate?" Blair inquired after she'd gotten him into the silk pajamas and back into bed.

"Horrified that nobody told him sooner," Chuck replied.

"That's on me," Blair realized. She hadn't even given it a moment's thought. She just naturally assumed that someone would have told Chuck's best friend. It did explain why he hadn't shown up sooner. They all did tend to scatter during the summer months, but even Nate would insist on being there for Chuck during something so enormous as suffering a gunshot wound.

"He'll calm down," he assured her, "But don't be surprised if he ends up at your front door by this time tomorrow."

"Serena will love that," Blair groaned with the sense of dread she felt. Her best friend had as much of a flair for the dramatics as she did, perhaps more so. Serena was certain to make a scene when her most recently ex-ed boyfriend showed up.

"You can call and tell him not to come," Chuck offered.

"No," Blair shook her head, "He should be here. We'll figure something out. Serena will just need to get over herself and realize not everything is about her."

"This is Serena we're talking about," he pointed out.

**TBC. . .**

**Finally an appropriate place to put a little heat into the Blair and Chuck we know and love. **

**My countdown has begun. Less than two months before the season premiere.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Sure enough, Nate showed up early the next afternoon and the drama began. After jokingly thanking Chuck for the use of his little black book, Serena slapped Nate sharply across his face and then stormed into the guest bedroom while mutter about how he was just as sick and twisted as Chuck before locking herself in.

Blair had enough going on with tending to Chuck, that she made the decision to let Serena stay in her room until she decided to come out on her own. She would surely feel the wrath of the leggy blonde, but she didn't care.

"I never thought I'd see the day in which your relationship with your ex is better than mine," Nate shook his head as he sat down in a chair next to Chuck's bed as Blair left to get Chuck the glass of water he had requested.

"I guess a gunshot washes away a lot of sins," Chuck replied, "Not all of them, mind you, but at least enough so that it's tolerable for Blair to be in the same room with me, and not slap me across the face."

"I talked to Dan before I left today," Nate replied as he wiped his hand along his jaw, trying to calm the sting Serena'a hand caused. "Jenny's doing well in Hudson with her mom, if you cared."

He didn't really care all that much, but no sense in telling Nate that. As far as he was concerned, if he never saw either of the Humphrey offspring again, it would be all right with him.

"I suppose he thinks I got what I deserve," Chuck rolled his eyes as he relaxed against the recently fluffed pillows at his back, compliments of his beautiful nurse.

"I talked to Jenny about a week and a half ago," Nate continued on, "She doesn't hate you for what happened. She's also quite adamant in telling anyone who is willing to listen that you were not solely to blame for what happened."

"I bet Rufus and Daniel aren't listening," Chuck added dryly.

"Not yet," Nate confirmed, "They will in time. Jenny had been looking for trouble for a while. Surely, even they see that."

"She certainly found it, didn't she," Chuck replied. "How did my black book treat you?"

"Dude, I'm never giving that back," Nate replied with a healthy laugh, "The tricks those girls know are insane."

Chuck laughed slightly as Blair entered with his glass of water. "You can keep it," Chuck told his best friend after he thanked Blair with a kiss to her hand. "I don't want to see that thing ever again."

"What's going on here?" Nate asked as he motioned towards the two as Blair sat down on the bed next to Chuck. "Are the two of you back together?"

"No," Chuck shook his head as Blair entwined her hand with his. He flashed her a bright smile.

"We're putting everything aside until Chuck is better," Blair explained as she rested her head on Chuck's shoulder, "Then we'll try to figure everything out, but one thing I do know is that nothing can be worse than losing Chuck from my life completely."

"I'm not understanding," Nate responded in confusion, "You are acting like you're back together."

"We're trying to figure all of this out," Blair replied, "But right now we need to focus on Chuck getting healthy again. And Chuck, you should be resting."

"Unfortunately, she's right," Chuck announced to his best friend.

"Nap, or whatever you need to do. I'm not going anywhere," Nate assured him. "Blair just consider me another recruit in your quest to nurse Chuck back to health."

"We're going to need to figure out new sleeping arrangements then," Blair frowned. She hadn't even thought it through when Chuck announced the possibility of Nate showing up. They were already out of beds, and she felt bad about having to sleep with Serena, who despite her claims to the contrary really did snore.

"Nate can bunk in here with me," Chuck offered, "There has to be some extra blankets he can use."

"Yeah, I can sleep on the floor or something," Nate agreed.

"Sleep," she reminded Chuck as she pushed Nate out of the room. "I'll be back to check on you in a little while."

"What's really going on between you and Chuck?" Nate inquired of Blair as they went out onto the balcony to talk without prying ears.

"If he'd let us, we'd be back together right now," she admitted, "I want it; he doesn't."

"He doesn't," Nate repeated in surprise. She could have knocked him over with a feather at the revelation. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Chuck wanted Blair back more than anything in the world. That he would reject her when she so clearly wanted him back was mind-boggling.

"He wants to talk everything through. I think it has more to do with him not wanting to get his hopes up. Giving me his heart was the hardest thing he's ever done. I cannot blame him for being careful," she replied.

"But you can blame him for throwing away your relationship," Nate prompted him.

"I'm to blame too," she reminded him, "I did the same thing to him in the fall when I set him up to kiss that alumni person so I could get the speech over Vanessa."

"This isn't even close to what you did. Chuck traded you to Jack for a night so he could get his hotel back, like you were some sort of prostitute and he was your pimp," Nate reminded her. "How can you pretend that has never happened? I can barely look at him sometimes."

"I'm not pretending. I know what happened, and believe me it still hurts, a lot. But like it or not, I was willing to go through with it when I thought Chuck didn't know anything about it. I would have slept with Jack to get Chuck his hotel back," Blair stated, "Chuck knew that. He had so much faith in our love for each other that he thought we could overcome that transgression. Is it a sick and twisted way to think, absolutely, but it's who we are."

"You're making excuses for him," Nate realized.

"I'm explaining what happened," she corrected him. "Chuck doesn't think in black and white like most people. He has a whole spectrum of grey areas that people like you, me and Serena could never imagine. He knows now that what he did was wrong."

"He knew then," Nate shook his head. He certainly wasn't going to buy into Blair's way of thinking. "He had to have known. Even Chuck knows the difference between right and wrong. This is so far down the wrong side that you can't even see the right side from what he did."

"What do you want me to say?" Blair snapped in frustration. "Do you want me to say that what he did is so unforgivable that I'll never consider starting over with him ever again? If that is what you're waiting to hear, we're both wasting a lot of breath because I'll never be able to say that. We're Blair and Chuck. We'll never be over, and we'll never be happier with anyone else."

"Chuck is my best friend, and I've had a front row seat to most of his messed up behavior. The worst I ever thought him capable of was sleeping with my girlfriend a mere few hours after I broke up with her. Now I've seen so much worse. I now know that I don't know what he's capable of."

"I know that he's learned from his mistake," Blair told him, "I know he won't hurt me like that again."

"How can you be certain of that?" Nate pressed. "If you two are able to reclaim what you had, what is his incentive to not try something like that again?"

"Because I'll make sure that he knows this will be his last chance. If he does something like that to me ever again, I wouldn't just walk away from him; I would murder him. I could not take him doing that to me again," she explained.

"I know you, Blair," he stated, "Better than you think I do. You need to feel safe in your relationship. You need to feel that your heart is safe. You need to feel loved. You need to feel as if you are the only one. I couldn't give you those things. What makes you think Chuck can after what he's done?"

"I need to have faith in him," she replied as she wiped away a tear. "I need to have faith that he know what's at stake and that he now knows he has to protect what is most precious to him."

"What do you need from me?" Nate sighed in resignation. She'd made up her mind. She was going back to him no matter what anyone said to talk her out of it. All anyone could do now was to be there for her and try to guide him down the right path when he was tempted to be led astray.

"Help him," she replied, "Use what limited knowledge you have about what women want and help him figure this out."

"I will do what I can," he tried to assure her as they heard the sharp clicking of heals approach them.

"What are you still doing here?" Serena snapped as she stood with determination as she crossed her arms in front of her chest as she stared down at Nate.

"I'm here for Chuck," Nate responded with equal determination, "Whether you want me here or not, I'm staying. Slap me as silly as you want. I'm not leaving until either Chuck or Blair ask me to. You don't get to make this about you this time."

Serena scoffed in disgust as she turned on her heel and stormed out the front door.

"You've grown a spine, Archibald," Blair announced as she looked at him in shock, "It's about time."

"It's only taken nineteen years," Nate laughed.

"You were always too much of a pushover for me," Blair proclaimed.

"You needed a challenge," he agreed.

"I certainly got one," she muttered.

"Blair," Chuck called out for her as he slowly approached the pair, walking gingerly as he latched on to anything he could to keep himself upright.

"You're supposed to be resting," she told him as she was at his side in an instant.

"I couldn't sleep," he admitted sheepishly as he pressed his forehead to hers.

Nate witnessed the interaction between the two and felt as if he was intruding. It was a simple yet extremely intimate moment as Chuck leaned against her for support.

"Should you be up and walking around?" Nate inquired as he came to Chuck's other side ready to offer whatever support he may need.

"No," Chuck shook his head, "But I can't lay in that bed any longer. Can I join the two of you on the balcony for a while? Perhaps a change in scenery will help."

"For a little while," Blair agreed as she walked him to the balcony to her seat so that he would have the best view of the city below.

"I heard Serena storm out," Chuck struck up a conversation. "Is everything okay?"

"I won't leave even though she wants me to," Nate explained.

"He stood up for himself for the first time ever," Blair added proudly, "Our little boy is finally growing up."

"I knew that backbone was there somewhere," Chuck laughed out before remembering the pain that would come.

"Take it easy, Buddy," Nate told his friend as Chuck groaned out loudly in pain. "Maybe you should take something for the pain. I'm sure the doctors have prescribed some pretty awesome meds for you."

"He won't take them," Blair chimed in as she clasped his hand in hers. "He's afraid he might get addicted to them."

"Of course there's a risk," Nate replied, "But you're in pain. You need something."

"No," Chuck shook his head, "No drugs."

"Please take something," Blair pleaded with him. "I hate seeing you in so much pain."

"No," he held firm. "It goes away. I just need to wait it out."

Blair bit her lip to hold off any further response that she felt forming. She merely continued to hold his hand and waited with him for the pain to end as tears glistened in her eyes. Mercifully, they didn't have to wait too long.

"Please don't make me laugh," he requested when his breathing became easier as he reached out to dry a tear that fell down Blair's cheek as he gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm okay."

Blair nodded before excusing herself quickly.

"Do you know how lucky you are?" Nate inquired as he watched Chuck's gaze followed Blair for as long as he could. "She doesn't give second chances easily. She's prepared to give you one. Don't waste it."

"I have no intention of doing so," Chuck assured him, "I will not make the mistake of losing her for a second time. I'd rather die than do that."

"You may get your wish," Nate told her, "Because I don't think Blair would let you live."

"Don't make me laugh," Chuck pleaded as he tried to fight the chuckle he felt forming.

"I'm not trying to joke with you, and I'm not going to let you destroy her," Nate informed him, "Because its what you'd be doing if you ever pull a stupid stunt like you did."

Chuck nodded in agreement as he looked out to the vistas of Blair's most favorite city.

"What were you fighting to hang onto?" Nate inquired suddenly.

"What?" Chuck asked for clarification.

"When you were fighting those muggers. What did they take that you wanted to hang onto? Something of your father's?" Nate elaborated.

"Nothing of my father's holds that much value to me," he shook his head as he glanced over his shoulder to see if Blair was near. He didn't want her to overhear. "It was a gift I had purchased for Blair. I was going to give it to her when we reunited at the top of the Empire State Building, which obviously didn't happen."

"A gift," Nate replied skeptically, "A gift could be replaced. You just should have let them have it and got another one."

"This is irreplaceable," Chuck shook his head, "As she is. I need to get it back. Whatever it takes, I have to have it. Archibald, I need you to help me."

"Whatever you need," Nate assured him, "You know that."

"There's going to be a solitaire Harry Winston ring moved on the black market, if it hasn't been already. They won't be able to move it through normal channels because I had it insured. I need it back," Chuck informed him.

"Solitaire ring," Nate repeated in a surprised whisper, "An engagement ring, man!"

"I was trying to propose when Humphrey knocked me down," Chuck explained softly, "I was originally going to propose at the top of the Empire State Building."

"You're nineteen," Nate pointed out.

"I love her. I cannot live with out her. Help me," he pleaded with his best friend. If ever there was a time he needed his best friend to come through for him, this was it.

Nate nodded in agreement as he looked at Chuck in total bewilderment. He could not believe that the man sitting before him, his best friend, was even thinking about getting engaged. It went against every fiber of Chuck's being, but this was Blair. He knew all too well the spell she could cast. He'd nearly proposed himself the year before solely to hang onto her and not lose her to the man sitting next to him. "Whatever you need," Nate repeated.

**TBC. . .**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**As always thank you to those of you who have taken a few moments to review. I love all of your thoughts.**

The days passed quickly for the NJBC. Serena and Nate did their best to stay out of each other's way. Serena spent her days shopping for the elusive perfect pair of shoes. Nate suddenly appeared preoccupied by some sort of mysterious quest while still managing to find time to socialize with the Parisian women that feel at his feet, and Blair spent her days playing nurse to a recovering Chuck, who was getting strong each day.

"How about a walk along the river," Chuck suggested as they sat for breakfast together one morning. Curiously both Nate and Serena had gone their separate ways earlier that morning so they were by themselves for breakfast for the first time since Blair had brought Chuck to Paris to recuperate.

"Are you sure you're up for that?" Blair inquired as she eyed him skeptically. He'd made enormous progress, but he still got tired easily.

"I need out of this house, Blair. It's been two weeks," he whined like a little boy that was about five second away from throwing an outright tantrum. "I'm suffocating in here. I only get to leave for doctors' appointments. You heard the doctor yesterday say that the fresh air will do me good."

"A short walk," she agreed with an amused little grin, "And we stop and rest frequently."

"Whatever it takes for you to agree," he replied with a relieved smile as he ate his mashed up breakfast. He refused to touch another ounce of baby food, but he still couldn't digest solids well, so he was working with protein shakes and anything they could think of to run through a food processor. This morning he was eating ripened bananas and fresh strawberries. While they appeared to look like baby food he took comfort in the fact that just minutes earlier they were whole pieces of fruit and hadn't sat in a sterile jar for god only knew how long.

When the warm summer air began blowing in his face as they began their walk along the river, Chuck had to stop for a moment to take in the sensation. He'd never been one to savor the outdoors, but being cooped up inside for more than three weeks taught him to appreciate so many of the things he'd been taking for granted.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Blair asked for the fifth time since they'd left the apartment.

"Definitely," he nodded as he wrapped her arm in his and began pulling her along as they began their stroll along the river at a leisurely pace.

She marveled at the progress he had made. No longer was he gritting his teeth, and he didn't need anyone's support to get around. He still winced in pain on occasion, but he was miles away from where he was when they first arrived in Paris. It pained her to know that soon he was not going to need her around anymore.

"How long do you think Serena and Nate are going to keep avoiding each other?" Blair pondered as she pushed her previous thought out of her head. Reality was going to come soon enough. There was no need to speed it up.

"About as long as he holds onto that book of mine," Chuck replied as he kissed the back of her hand gently, "I know the temptations are strong with that book, but until he realizes the emptiness that comes with it, he's not going to be ready for another relationship."

"What if he were to restart a relationship he already had?" she prompted him.

"You're talking about Serena, I hope," he studied her curiously. God, he hoped he didn't have to fight off his best friend for her attention again. Twice was hard enough.

"Yes," she reassured him, "Me and Nate are as ancient history as the lost city of Atlantis. We'd be better off swallowed up by the ocean that to revisit that catastrophe again. Nate and Serena were so good together."

"Blair, are you looking to play matchmaker?" he inquired as he caught the familiar gleam in her eyes.

"What is so wrong about wanting my best friend to be happy?" she inquired as she saw his disapproving frown. He hated when she meddled in the lives of people he cared about.

"There is nothing wrong with that," he told her, "But first you should take care of yourself and see to it that you're happy."

"I am happy," she responded cheerfully, "I'm with you."

"We're not back together, Blair," he reminded her as he kissed her hand again.

"It feels like we are," she responded in a very matter of fact tone of voice. "We spend virtually ever moment together. We eat meals together. We have long talks. We make out all the time."

"We probably shouldn't be doing that," he conceded. He knew that was the sticking point. Each day he set out to spend time with her without their lips getting involved, but it always ended the same way, passionately. It was as if their magnetic pull had suddenly settled in their lips and it was nearly impossible to pull away.

"It feels too good," she told him, "Us being together feels so right."

"B, we aren't together," he reminded her.

"You keep saying that," she snapped as she pulled her hand away abruptly, "We could be if you'd let us. All I want right now is for us to get back together. Being near you is too hard otherwise."

"Then I should go back to New York," he told her as he caught her arm and spun her towards him so he could look her dead in the eyes so she could see the sincerity in them. "Because the last thing I want to do is make your life difficult. I've done enough of that."

"I don't want you to leave," she told him with an irresistible pout. "I want you with me. I want to be there for you."

"And you are," he told her as a gust of wind came up suddenly and blew hair onto her face. He quickly reached out to brush the strand behind her ear. He couldn't bare it when even a strand of her silken hair blocked his view of her breathtaking beauty. "All the agony I've gone through these past several weeks, surviving the pain would not have been possible without you there holding my hand, but now that I'm on the other side and well into recovery, I think I should leave."

"If you leave, I'm just going to follow you," she informed him. "I'm not above stalking at this point. I don't care how pathetic that sounds."

"We've talked about this. I'm better . . . a lot better, but I'm not in any condition to have the talk that we need to have before we can begin to think about a future together," he told her.

"I know everything that you're going to say," she held firm as she walked towards the railing of the bridge they were crossing so she could look out over the water below so she could avoid looking in his eyes. She didn't want him to see how much her next words still hurt.

"You're going to explain how you and Jack manipulated me into trading sexual favors to him in exchange for getting your hotel back. You're going to tell me about all the awful things you've done to women in the past, so you can try and convince me what an awful person you are in hopes that will drive me away. When that doesn't work, you'll start confessing about all of your transgressions since we broke up, all the hookers, the parties, and the drugs. I know you, Chuck. I know how you cope when your life gets turned upside down. I'm never going to forget what happened, but I can forgive you."

"Can you really forgive me?" he inquired as he studied her posture curiously, "You'll never know how truly sorry I am for everything that has happened, but I will not spend the rest of my life apologizing to you for it. When we argue, and we will argue because it's who we are, I can't take you throwing all of this back in my face. If you truly forgive me, you'll be able to agree to this without hesitation. If we start over, it's a clean slate for both of us. Our passed mistakes no longer exist. We never speak of this ever again. Are you ready for that?"

"No," she shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm not ready for that yet."

"Can you ever be ready?" he pressed as he turned her towards him once more.

"I think so," she nodded slowly as more tears trickled down, "Eventually."

"And that's okay," he assured her as he caressed her chin softly as he cradled her head in his hands. "I didn't expect you to say yes. You get to still be angry with me."

"I want to be with you," she told him as she fell into his arms against his chest. "I can't promise to never be angry again over this, but I want you, so much that it hurts every morning when I wake up and find that I'm not next to you. Please, Chuck let me have that."

"You know the terms," he told her gently as he pressed his lips to her forehead softly, "I'll still be here, and I'll be waiting anxiously."

"Can I still take care of you?" she inquired as she rested her head against his chest, savoring the rhythmic beating of his heart.

"Absolutely," he nodded, "You are most definitely the best and most attentive nurse I've ever had, and the most beautiful."

"Can I still kiss you?" she inquired as she pulled away slightly as her eyes settled on his lips, eyeing them longingly.

"As much as you want," he fought to suppress a chuckle, "As long as that is as far as it goes. We've come too close to having sex too many times. Next time we make out, it will not be after one of your unnecessary sponge baths. The stitches came out last week, B, so I can take regular baths now."

She stuck out her lip to pout once more. After the awkward initial first encounter, she now enjoyed their daily alone time together. Nate and Serena never interrupted. She had total freedom to roam his body and touch him in ways she dreamt about each night. She also used that time to tempt him. They come close several times to making love, but he always managed to stop her before things went too far.

"You'll still need someone to wash your back," she replied.

"You are nothing if not persistent," he chuckled as he kissed her lightly.

"One of these days you will cave," she told him, "And I will be there ready and willing to entice you into my arms and into my bed."

"There is part of me that hopes you'll succeed," he replied as he kissed her one more time before he released her so they could continue their walk.

"Which part?" she inquired with a knowing glance to his groin.

"More than just that part," he told her as he kissed her hand and placed it against his heart.

She sighed happily as she linked her arm in his as they continued their walk. They stopped frequently at nearby benches to allow Chuck to catch his breath and enjoy the varying views of the city. Never had a appreciated the scenic landscape as much as he did with her. He was finally beginning to understand the spell this city had cast upon her.

"We've never done the Eiffel Tower together," Blair proclaimed during their final rest as the legendary landmark was now within view.

"I have a proposition for you," he stated as he caressed the fingers of her left hand, knowing that something was missing. "The Empire State Building didn't work for us. How about the Eiffel Tower? On the day you can forgive me completely, I want you to meet me at the top of the Eiffel Tower."

"How will you know to join me?" she inquired.

"You'll find a way to tell me," he told her, "You get to chose the date and time, and I promise you I will be there waiting for you."

Blair nodded in agreement as she kissed his cheek.

"Take as long as you need," he told her, "I'll wait forever if I have to. You have my word."

"I know," she responded as she caressed his cheek softly. If ever there was a time to take Chuck at his word, his determined response told her this was it.

Blair phone began to ring, breaking them out of their trance. "Nate," she announced as she glanced at the caller id before as she answered. She knew she should just hand the phone to Chuck. He wasn't calling to talk to her, but she answered merely out of habit. She made a mental note to get Chuck a new phone. She was getting a little tired of playing his secretary.

"Is Chuck with you?" Nate inquired, "I'm at the apartment and neither of you are here."

"Your detective skills are astounding," she responded sarcastically. "Of course, Chuck is with me. Do you honestly think I'd let him out of my sight right now."

"I need to speak with him," Nate responded anxiously.

"What is it, Archibald?" Chuck inquired as he took the phone Blair was handing to him. He couldn't help but smirk at the annoyed look on her face as she passed the phone off.

"I'm leaving for Prague," Nate told him, "Your PI thinks he's found the ring. He needs a little help retrieving it."

"Please be careful," Chuck implored.

"I'll be fine," Nate replied. "With any luck, I'll have your treasure back which means you and Blair will be one step closer to being back together."

"I hope you're right," Chuck responded as he eyed Blair with longing as she took in the sights, ignorant to his eyes.

"I'll probably be a few weeks," Nate stated, "Can you take care of Serena and Blair? Manage a good cover story to explain my absence?"

"Not a problem," Chuck replied, "You'll check in won't you."

"Of course. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, while I'm gone," Nate replied.

"Which leaves what out?" Chuck tossed out.

"Not much," Nate chuckled.

"See you, Archibald," Chuck replied as he hung up and handed Blair back her phone.

"What was that all about?" Blair inquired as she slid her phone back into her purse.

"Nate's decided to take a little trip," Chuck responded, "He thinks backpacking across Europe is going to be as thrilling the second time around."

"The only way I would ever traipse across Europe is if five star hotels were involved," she replied.

"We know, Princess," he told her as he stood up, taking a hold of her hand to pull her to her feet.

"Next stop, my bed," she announced, "You've exerted far too much energy today. You're going to sleep for the rest of the day."

**TBC. . . (obviously)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Serena came home later that afternoon loaded down with packages to find Blair in tears on the balcony as Chuck slept soundly in her bedroom.

"What's the matter, B?" Serena inquired as she dropped her bags at her feet and went to comfort Blair.

"Chuck," was all Blair managed to say as she crumbled in Serena's arms.

"Is he okay?" Serena asked frantically. Blair nodded against her shoulder before the sobs overtook her again. Serena waited patiently for Blair to regain her composure before she asked further questions. As Chuck had requested, Serena was determined to be the shoulder to cry on, and the supportive friend through what Blair was going through. While she had her own issues, Blair's problems were much more difficult, yet Serena envied the determination her best friend had to work through them.

Blair pulled away finally, wiping her eyes. "Thank god for waterproof mascara."

"What did Chuck do now?" Serena inquired.

"Nothing other than be completely wonderful," Blair replied as she accepted the tissue Serena was handing her to wipe her eyes.

"Out of the two of them, who would have guessed that Chuck would be the gentleman this summer," Serena sighed, "Nate spends more nights away from the apartment with god only knows what French skank he manages to find."

"You sound jealous," Blair pointed out.

"I wanted us to take a break, not break up," Blair stated. "Now that we have, is it too much to ask that he not flaunt his sexcapades in my face?"

"He's not flaunting anything," Blair stuck up for Nate. He'd been very discreet about his nightly activities because he was trying to be respectful of both Serena and Blair's feelings.

"No, he's not," Serena conceded, "But is it too much to ask for him to pine away for me for the rest of his life?"

"Perhaps just a little," Blair chuckled.

"I think I made a mistake when I broke up with Nate, but I don't think he'd want to get back together now even if I asked," Serena confessed.

"You won't know unless you try," Blair suggested as she stood up so that she could go check on Chuck. He'd been asleep for a while, and it was becoming habit for her to check on him every couple of hours. "But you'll have to wait a few weeks. Nate called Chuck to tell him that he's decided to go backpacking for a few weeks through Europe."

"Typical Archibald," Serena moaned as Blair walked away.

"You're supposed to be asleep," Blair announced as she padded into the room to find Chuck's eyes fluttering open. He must have just woken up.

"I felt you approaching," he told her as she slid into bed, curling herself against him as her head laid against his chest. His steady heartbeat was the soothing melody for her somber mood. His eyes studied her for a moment before he spoke again. "You've been crying."

She nodded in response.

"Feel like sharing?" he inquired as he caressed her back softly.

"No," she replied with a slight shake of her head. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough," he replied, "It's a little drafty in here. Have you ever realized that?"

"You've mentioned it," she chuckled slightly. It was a statement he made nearly everyday. He was always getting a chill yet he continually refused to be covered up in a blanket when he laid down for his naps. "Stubborn Basstard," she mumbled.

He merely laughed in response. He knew he was wearing on her nerves with his refusal to do anything other than complain about the draft. If he thought about it, that was perhaps the reason he did it in the first place.

"Serena wants to get back together with Nate," Blair announced as her hand began to rub against his stomach softly, not enough to put any pressure on his closed up incision, but enough to tickle him slightly.

"Took longer than I thought," Chuck replied as he stilled her hands. She was playing with fire. He could feel the familiar stir in his loins as she toyed with him innocently. She truly had no idea how little it would take to entice him, and he hoped she wouldn't figure it out.

"Does he want her back?" she inquired.

"I honestly don't know," he replied as he continued to stroke her back gently, "He hasn't said anything. I think he might still be upset that she ended it. She broke his heart."

"She broke her own heart," Blair added.

"Hasn't been the best year for the four of us in terms of their relationships, has it," he observed.

"Not at all," she agreed with a yawn.

"You're tired. Take a nap," he suggested.

She nodded in agreement as she burrowed in against him further as she drifted off.

* * *

The apartment was blissfully quiet now that Serena and Nate were no longer yelling at each other at the dinner table. Serena was contemplating going back to New York. She was beginning to feel like the third wheel, and her quest to find the perfect pair of shoes she'd been looking for seemed to be turning into a wild goose chase instead.

After they all watched a movie, Blair's choice, so naturally it featured Audrey Hepburn, Serena announced that she was turning in for the evening. Blair and Chuck stayed up for a little while longer to enjoy a few moments of alone time. It had been a rare occurrence as Nate or Serena always seemed to be lurking just around the corner ready to catch them in the act, except for during his bath time.

"Remember what you said earlier today?" she asked curiously.

"Refresh my memory," he replied, as he eyed her. He was usually good with her riddles, but the possibilities for what she was referencing were too numerous.

"You said I could kiss you as much as I wanted," she reminded him.

"Yes, I certainly did," he grinned as he leaned in to capture her lips. It didn't take long for Blair to try and escalate their make out session. He began chuckling as he held her at a safe distance.

"Nice try, Waldorf," he smirked. She huffed in anger as she stormed to the guest room, slamming the door as she went. He had to take a few moments to calm himself down before he proceeded to bed. She was closer to succeeding than she realized.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Chuck inquired late that night when Blair climbed into bed next to him in her favorite baby doll nightgown.

"I've had it with Serena's snoring," she told him, "I'm reworking the sleeping arrangements."

"Blair, I snore," he reminded her.

"Not like her, you don't," Blair shook her head, "She sounds like a foghorn. I'm amazed I've had any sleep in the past few weeks."

"This isn't a good idea," he told her. It wasn't that he didn't want her sleeping next to him. God knows he'd missed her warmth these past few months, but she'd disturbed him at an awkward moment. He'd woken up after having a particularly erotic dream about her and was now dealing with an uncomfortable hard on. If she shifted slightly closer, she was bound to feel it.

"Please, Chuck, just let me stay here tonight," she pleaded with him, "Tomorrow night I'll go back to sharing the room with Serena, but for one night I need a decent sleep." That was when she shifted. Her eyes showed mild surprise as she put together the sensation against her hip.

"Don't say anything," he hissed as she opened up her lips to point out his very obvious erection.

"Do you need a hand?" she offered as she bit her lip to stop herself from laughing out.

"A hand, a few lips, your exquisite heat, anything should work," he sighed. She reached for him, but he caught her hand just in time. "No, Blair."

"That's going to be really painful if you don't do something about it," she told him.

"It's already painful," he told her simply.

"This is one pain I can take away. Let me," she requested.

"It won't be enough," he told her as she began stroking him softly as she slid her hand under the silk pajamas bottoms he was wearing. "I've been trying to jack off for an hour. Nothing is working."

Blair bit her lip harder to contain her amusement. He'd never had trouble with self-gratification before.

"What can I do?" she asked as she looked into his lust-clouded eyes. She could see she was playing with fire. She should leave. They both knew that, but she couldn't, and he couldn't make her. He felt so good in the palm of her hand. The only thought she was having was how much better he'd feel inside her.

Chuck lunged towards her suddenly and pulled her lips to his as he kissed her as passionately as he ever had. He'd never be able to pin down what was the catalyst. No rational thoughts came to him in that moment. He should have been telling himself to stop, but all he could hear were the soft moans of ecstasy from Blair, which spurred him on even more.

Chuck's pajamas and Blair's nightgown were discarded quickly as he rolled her underneath him. His eyes locked with hers, looking for any hint of hesitation or regret in her eyes. He saw only the love and desperate need that he was sure his eyes reflected.

"Please," was her plea as he pressed himself against her entrance, nudging in slightly. The heat emanating from her was greater than he remembered. Her magnetic force drew him further inside. He realized he was home. A single tear rolled down her cheek. He didn't need to ask. It wasn't a tear of regret; it was of relief.

They were slow and deliberate as they drew out their union as long as either could stand. Their cries of passion echoed in the room. When they came, it was together with their fingers entwined. It was the most connected moment either of them had ever felt with each other.

"Are you okay?" he inquired as he held her after they'd returned to their senses. She had rolled away without a word to him, only to pull his arms around her so that he was spooning her. He could tell from the little hiccup noises that she was crying, but trying to not let him know.

She nodded in response.

"Did I hurt you?" he pressed.

She shook her head this time.

"You don't need to stay," he told her as he kissed her cheek softly, "If you're regretting what just happened, it's okay for you to leave."

"I don't regret it," she spoke with a slight break in her words.

"Why are you crying?" he inquired as his lips brushed against her shoulder. Unlike when they were making love, he didn't understand the tears that were flowing now. If she wasn't physically hurting, he didn't know what he did to upset her. He thought he'd given her the opportunity to stop if she didn't want to be with him.

"I'm afraid you're saying goodbye," she told him just before her face buried in the pillow. "I'm afraid if I fall asleep, you won't be here when I wake up. All I'll have left of you is the lingering scent on my sheets and another heartbreaking note in which you've decided to disappear yet again."

"I'm not saying goodbye," he tried to assure her, "And I will be here in the morning if you want me to be."

"More than anything," she replied as she pulled on his arms to wrap them tighter around her body.

"This doesn't change anything," he told her, "One night of complete ecstasy does not magically repair the damage I've done to our relationship."

"I know," she sighed softly, "But I'll never regret it."

"Are you saying goodbye, Blair?" he inquired. His stomach lurched violently at the thought.

"No," she shook her head repeatedly, "I will be here in the morning."

They both fell into a peaceful slumber.

**TBC. . .**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Chuck awoke first the next morning. Blair had shifted in her sleep as she was curled up against him now with her hand resting on his chest right over his heart. She had a serenely peaceful smile on her face as her eyelids fluttered in her sleep. Her skin felt like heaven against him. It had been too long since he'd felt this particular sensation. Even the women he'd forced himself to be with after they'd broken up hadn't felt this good. Then he remembered that he'd kicked them out after he'd come to his senses and realized they weren't Blair.

Their activities from the previous evening had caused him mild discomfort in his stomach, but he wouldn't have given up those moments with her.

It shouldn't have happened. He never should have let it get that far. Not only had the doctors told him bluntly that sex could seriously hinder his recovery, but now Blair might have the idea that she should continue seducing him until she had her way. Their fractured relationship couldn't be repaired with mind-blowing orgasms. They'd always been amazing together when it came to intimacy, but he wanted more than sex out of their relationship. He wanted a life with her. He wanted to be her mate in every sense of the word, certainly more than just a bedmate.

"How long have you been awake?" Blair mumbled as her eyes fluttered open.

He was slightly disappointed when she woke up. He was hoping to have more time to enjoy the closeness of their naked bodies against each other before he had to do what needed to be done, but she looked to be waking for the day, rather than just mumbling before she nodded off again as she tended to do in the early mornings they'd spent together.

"A few minutes," he responded as he kissed her forehead.

"Did last night really happen?" she inquired as she looked him deeply in the eyes. He thought he might find regret and sadness, but there was only love and satisfaction.

He lifted the bed sheet to confirm they were both still gloriously naked as their lower extremities were intertwined. "I believe it really did," he nodded.

"I thought it was just another incredibly realistic and fantastic dream," she replied as she snuggled closer to him.

"This shouldn't have happened," he told her, echoing his sentiments from the previous evening. Just like that the magical spell was broken. Reality was slapping them both in the face.

"Don't expect me to apologize for what happened," she snapped as she sat up suddenly turning her upper body away from him as she swung her feet out of bed. He lunged for her hand just before she pulled it out of reach.

"I'd never dream of asking you to," he assured her as he held her gaze to his. "Whether it should have happened or not, it did and it was amazing, but it complicates things. I'm trying to earn your trust and restore your faith in me. Not even twelve hours ago we discussed getting back together. My terms have not changed, and you cannot tell me that after a few hours and one mind blowing orgasm that you've decided we can wipe the slate clean."

"We had the most amazing sex that we've ever had last night, and you've managed to ruin it," she hissed. "Congratulations."

"Is sex all it was to you, Waldorf," he stared her down. He knew her better than that. They had never had sex. It had always meant so much more than that to both of them than a simple roll in the hay. They had connected last night in a way that had been missing for far too long. "Did you not hope that I would wake up this morning and throw my terms out the window?"

"I'd hope for that whether we had sex last night or not," she scoffed as she slipped into her nightgown and stood up.

She was at the threshold of the room when he called out to her, stopping her from leaving, "I love you. That is why I'm doing this. Think whatever you like about last night, but know that I love you."

She nodded to let him know she heard him before she left the room as quickly as she could.

"B, every time I see you right now, you're in tears," Serena sighed as Blair threw herself onto the guest bed and into Serena's arms. Blair didn't respond other than to cry harder. "I heard you and Chuck last night. Did what I think I heard happen?"

Blair nodded against her best friend's ample bosom.

"Oh, B," Serena sighed in understanding.

"It was the best it's ever been," Blair cried. "There were fireworks. I saw stars. He was so gentle and sweet. When we came it was together. In that moment, it felt as if we'd never been apart, and I never want to be ever again."

"Are you back together?" Serena inquired.

"He won't let us get back together," Blair began to sob harder, if it was even possible.

Serena was speechless. She thought that it was Blair that was keeping him at a distance, not Chuck. "I thought he'd jump at the chance."

"He needs me to forgive him first," she explained as she began trying to reign in her emotions. She didn't want to spend the day trying to explain to Chuck the puffiness under her eyes because she knew he would ask, and she wasn't up for another conversation about why they weren't back together yet.

"I thought you have forgiven him," Serena replied.

"Completely," Blair elaborated, "His definition of forgiveness means that I can never bring up what happened ever again. We both need to have a fresh start. All of past mistakes are in the past."

"And you can't do that," Serena concluded.

"I forgive him," Blair replied, "But in the heat of the moment right now, I cannot guarantee that I won't bring it up again."

"What right does he have to place demands on you getting back together!" Serena scoffed. "He's the one that screwed up in the first place."

"But he's right," Blair shook her head. "If we start arguing, we'll throw out accusations against each other with the intention of hurting each other. It's what we've always done. He doesn't deserve to be hurt like that; neither of us do."

"What are you going to do, B?" Serena asked.

"Figure out how to forgive him, completely," Blair replied. "I love him too much to give up now."

Neither women knew it but Chuck was standing just outside the room listening to every word they said. His heart began to soar with her confession. Until that moment he hadn't believed it would be possible for Blair to totally forgive him. Now he realized if he did things right that it might only be a matter of time.

As silently as possible, Chuck returned to bed. It finally dawned on him that he was going about earning her trust in the wrong way. Rather than pushing her away to give her time to think and heal, he needed to show her that he was capable of being the man that she wanted him to be. He decided that things were going to be different from that moment on.

**TBC. . . .**

**Kind of a short chapter, but I'd love to hear what you have to say anyways.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Good morning, Sis," Chuck announced himself as he sat down for breakfast. It had been two weeks since Chuck and Blair had made love. Far from being awkward in each other's presence, it was as if the floodgates had opened. They weren't back together officially, but it was if they were dating again.

He was getting around so much better. He didn't need her at his side whenever he ventured out, so he'd surprise her with flowers or some other trinket to show his affection on an almost daily basis. They went for daily walks along the Seine River. They slept in the same bed each night, never taking it further than holding each other close.

They were in love. It was as simple as that. Nothing was official. They didn't discuss it, but they were back together. Blair didn't bring it up for fear that he'd reject her again, and she didn't try pushing for more. She allowed herself to be in the moment and just enjoy being near him.

"Morning," Serena replied, "Blair still asleep?"

"Yes," he confirmed with a smile. She had looked so beautiful that morning, as she did every morning. There was no way he was going to wake her.

"What type of gift are you going to surprise her with today?" Serena inquired with a twinge of envy. Nate, nor any other man she had ever dated, had been as thoughtful or generous with their gifts as Chuck had been with Blair.

"I was thinking the vintage diamond teardrop earring she's been eyeing at Cartier for the last few days. She doesn't know I've caught her eyeing them. I placed a call to the store yesterday afternoon. They've put them aside for me. I just need to pick them up before she wakes up," he explained.

"Too late," Blair announced as her arms wrapped around his neck to hug him good morning. She'd been stealthly following him since he left her alone in bed. She'd even surprised Serena, who saw her only moments before she pounced on Chuck.

"A little heads up would have been nice, van der Woodsen," he glared at Serena before he turned and kissed Blair good morning.

"I don't need those earrings," Blair told him softly as her lips lingered against his.

"Perhaps not," he agreed as she slid into the chair next to him, "Just like you didn't need the exclusive, yet to be released, Louis Vuitton handbag that I purchased for you yesterday, nor the ruby red, limited edition, Louboutin sling backs that I gave you the day before."

"You don't need to buy my affection, Chuck," she told him.

"That was never my intention," he told her as he kissed her hand gently.

Serena was nearly gagging at the ridiculously sweet disagreement they were having. "You two are making me nauseous." She stood up abruptly and left the pair to dine alone.

"Do you think it was something we said?" Blair looked at Chuck in bewilderment. Her friend's sudden outburst appeared to have Blair genuinely baffled.

"She's just missing Nate," Chuck assured her.

"Have you heard from the backpacking scoundrel of a best friend of yours?" Blair inquired.

"Not for a few days," he shook his head. "I think he'll be back fairly soon."

"Good," she proclaimed, "Because I'm tired of seeing my best friend moping around the apartment."

"If that is Serena moping, then she is the most cheerful moper I've ever met," he chuckled. Serena was her usual bubbly self whenever he was around, always laughing at whatever inappropriate comment he tossed in her direction.

"She's a private moper," Blair explained, "Outwardly she's as carefree as she always is. Inside, she's crying herself to sleep every night."

"I can try to get Nate back sooner," he offered, "Try and talk some sense into him."

"Weren't you the one that was saying he needs to let go of that little black book and the meaningless, empty sex it provides before he can be ready for another relationship?" she inquired.

"I can try coaxing him out of it," he replied, "Give him the benefit of my experience."

"Let them deal with their own issues," she shook her head, "We certainly aren't in much of a position to offer relationship advise."

"I suppose not," he agreed before deciding a change in subject was in order. "How about we give our pathway along the Seine a rest, and tour the Lourve instead? It's time to bring a little culture back into our existence."

She nodded in agreement.

Chuck's newly acquired phone chirped to life as Blair stood from the table to prepare for their day. Upon seeing it was a text message from Nate, he told Blair to start getting ready and that he'd be there in a few minutes. When she was gone, he began reading the message.

**-Confirm or deny**

Upon opening the attached picture his heart began to burst with joy. His best friend had come through for him. It was Blair's ring, the one he nearly given his life trying to hold onto.

Typing quickly, his message was simple:

**-Confirm**

He erased all traces of the message before returning to the bedroom to hear that Blair was taking a shower.

He suddenly felt lightheaded. His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. He sat down on the bed, but the room started to spin. He laid back against the soft comforter, clamping his eyes shut as tight so he could block out the world around him.

"Chuck," Blair spoke softly as she hovered over him with nothing more than a towel wrapped around her body. Her hair was dripping wet and dropping water on the shirt he was wearing. Her skin was slightly pink from the warm water, and she smelt like heaven. "Are you okay?"

He was at that moment as he pulled her fully on top of him, kissed away every ounce of breath she had. The towel strategically covering her nude body came free from her sudden movements. He could feel her warm breasts through the thin fabric of his shirt. Her arms came around him in an instant as she melted against him.

"So beautiful," he stated in complete awe of the breathtaking woman before him as he brushed the wet ringlets of hair away from her face as he paused to let her breathe and perhaps give her the chance to pull away. His intentions at that moment were unmistakable, he wanted her . . . needed her.

Blair smiled at the compliment slightly before attacking his lips with the same brutal force he had hers. She was the one to make the move to remove the towel from her body. She was the one that began unbuttoning his shirt. She was the one to speak the thought they were both having, "Take me now." Then he did. He quickly rid himself of the remainder of his clothes and then slid into her welcoming body. Blair's eyes closed as the sensation of him filling her washed through her body.

"Oh, god, yes!" she exclaimed as he worked her into a frenzy. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as the pleasure built. He hissed in pain as she broke through the skin.

Had they been aware of any surrounds other than each other, they would have heard Serena's gasp of surprise when she spotted the pair through the wide open bedroom door followed very closely by the opening and then slamming shut of the apartment's front door.

"Chuck, please!" she cried out as she felt him slowing down as he tried to draw out their pleasure, "I need you."

"You have me, B," he proclaimed as he caught her gaze and held her eyes to him as he quickened his pace once more and gave her the release she so desperately was pleading for.

Blair's eyes went wide as her orgasm washed through her, but she kept her eyes focused on him. She couldn't break the hold he had on her, nor could he break her hold on him. As the last remnants of her orgasm coursed through her body, she felt his release.

It wasn't until all his energy was spent and he collapsed against her that the eye lock finally ended. Something between them both had changed, but neither could put their finger on what it was as they clung to each other as they tried to recover.

"We have to stop doing this," Blair announced as she wrapped her arms tighter around his body. He was physically startled by her confession. That had been his line the last time. His heart broke as the words rung in his ears. He realized that this was what they had both feared their last turn at making love was. She was saying goodbye.

Chuck didn't say anything as he rolled away from her. What could he say? Nate would be back that afternoon with her ring, so he'd have one treasure from their relationship to keep with him always. He'd let her move on with her life. He'd keep his distance. He might even leave New York for good.

"Chuck," she prompted him.

"I should take a shower," he told her while managing to avoid eye contact. He couldn't bear for her to see how heartbroken by her announcement he was. "If we want to fully experience the Lourve, we'll need as much time as we can get."

She nodded in agreement as he disappeared.

**TBC . . .**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

Chuck didn't say more than a few words to her for the rest of that morning nor during their tour of the museum. He went out of his way to avoid all bodily contact with her, fearing if he touched her even once she would sprint away from him forever. His thoughts were nearly killing him. He didn't know how he was going to be able to live without her. He'd never had to try before.

Every picture Chuck seemed to pause and admire featured a star-crossed pair of lovers in a passionate embrace. His heart broke a little more each time.

"I'm going for a walk," Blair announced after they return in the early evening from the museum to an empty apartment. She'd given up on carry on a conversation with him. She'd never seen him this withdrawn before. It scared her.

"How long will you be gone?" he inquired as he went to extreme lengths to avoid making eye contact with her.

"I don't know," she told him truthfully, "As long as it takes. I left something for you on the bed."

Just then the front door opened and Nate stepped in with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey, Blair, you heading out?" Nate concluded as Blair was putting on her light jacket.

"Once again, Archibald, you've cracked the mystery," Blair responded sarcastically, "You really should look into getting your detective badge. You'd solve all the obvious crimes in New York City with your observations."

"Okay, not in a good mood," he mumbled incoherently. "Enjoy your walk."

"I will," Blair assured him as she looked to Chuck. The heartbreak in his eyes caused her to look away quickly as she exited.

"You owe me big time," Nate announced as he produced the jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to Chuck.

"I think I've lost her," Chuck stated as he opened the box to see Blair's ring sparkling back at him. His vision suddenly went blurry with the tears that filled his eyes. This should have been a happy moment for him. He'd wanted this ring in the most desperate of ways, but now that he had it he wanted was to chuck it into the river. It was over. Blair was gone. His life had ended.

"I don't understand," Nate shook his head in confusion. "When we talked a couple of days ago, you two were doing so well. You were getting along. She's been sleeping next to you every night. Did you have an argument or something?"

"No, we made love," Chuck replied.

"And making love was bad?" Nate spoke slowly and unsure of his response. It certainly didn't sound like a bad thing.

"I think it was her way of saying goodbye . . . one last moment of pure bliss before she exits my life forever," Chuck explained.

"Has she said goodbye yet?" Nate inquired, "Because take it from me, when she ends it, there is no doubt. She will say the words."

"I'm sure she just doesn't want to disrupt my recovery. She'll wait until I get the all clear from my physicians. Her proper upbringing would never allow her to end it so callously," Chuck shook his head.

"What are you going to do?" Nate pressed, "You have to keep fighting for her. Do not give up now."

"That isn't what she wants," Chuck shook his head again, "I think it's time to give up graciously and walk away. She deserves to be happy . . . even if it's not with me. It's the least I can do for her after all the pain I've caused."

"If you want to be with her, you have to fight for her," Nate tried to reason with him. "Blair wants to be swept off her feet."

"I tried that in New York," Chuck shook his head, "Instead of sweeping her off her feet, I knocked her legs out from under her, leaving her flat on her back trying to figure out what hit her. I don't have another feet sweeping gesture left in me."

"You're in the most romantic city in the world!" Nate exclaimed, "You've got to have something."

"It's done, Nathaniel," Chuck barked. "Just let it be done."

"You'll never be done," Nate insisted as he pounded his fist roughly against his best friend's chest, trying to get through to him, "If you can't see that, then you aren't the same Chuck Bass I've known my entire life."

"And I never will be again," Chuck responded as he turned to leave his friend standing in the entryway. His head was bowed down and his shoulders hunched. He was done.

Nate was going to follow him and try to get through Chuck's stubbornly thick skull when he heard Chuck's curse of pain.

"You okay, Buddy?" Nate inquired as he crossed the threshold into Chuck's room.

"Something stabbed me in the back," Chuck replied as he was standing up to turn around to discover what had injured him. Chuck froze at the sight of a small metal replica of the Eiffel Tower and a note in Blair's handwriting.

"What is that?" Nate inquired as Chuck's hands closed around the souvenir.

"Blair," Chuck explained as he glanced at the note.

**I love you, Bass. I'm ready. Meet me at the top of the tower, if you are too. – Blair**

"What does it say?" Nate inquired as he tried to read the note over Chuck's shoulder.

"I'm going for a walk," Chuck announced as he quickly pocketed the note before Nate's eyes could read it, brushing passed his best friend on his way to the front door.

"Since when do you like anything physical that doesn't involve a horizontal position?" Nate inquired as he followed his friend out.

"Let me be," Chuck requested as he eyed his watch. She had about a five minute head start. If he was lucky he could make it to the Eiffel Tower before her if he started walking that instant.

"Let me come with you," Nate insisted. He was genuinely concerned for his best friend. With as heartbroken as he appeared to be, Nate was fearful that he'd jump off a bridge to drown himself in the river.

"I'll be okay," Chuck vowed. He wanted to tell his best friend everything, including his proposition to Blair on top of the tower, but the pessimist in him wasn't fully believing he interpreted the note correctly. He had to be sure before he allowed even his hopes up. "I need to be alone."

"If you feel like doing something stupid, please call me first," Nate demanded. His eyes were full of panic. This was without a doubt the lowest he'd ever seen Chuck, and he was genuinely afraid he might hurt himself.

"I'm not suicidal," Chuck assured him, "I just need to be alone."

Nate relented and let Chuck get into the elevator alone.

**TBC. . . **

**Sorry it's so short, but I wanted to get this out there. What do you think? Will Chuck get the ending he's hoping for?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**I've made you wait long enough. I can feel your excitement building. Enjoy.**

Chuck was out of breath as he stepped onto the elevator at the Eiffel Tower to get to the top observation deck. He'd practically run the last few hundred yards. It hurt like hell as he still wasn't fully recovered, but he ignored the shooting pain as he pressed on. His hand settled against the ring box in his pocket before he took out Blair's note and read it for the fifteenth time since he left the apartment.

"Meeting somebody?" the lift operator asked curiously.

Chuck nodded as he anxiously shifted from one foot to another as the elevator rose higher and higher.

"An impatient brunette with a radiating smile and love in her eyes?" the operator continued on.

"I hope so," Chuck nodded as he took a cleansing breath.

"You're one of the luckiest men in the world to have a woman like that waiting for you," the man insisted.

"And this time I'll remember it," Chuck mumbled as the elevator came to a stop and the door opened. Chuck's eyes began to scan the tourists looking for the breathtaking brunette that held his heart captive. He was frantically pushing through the crowd when she appeared before him.

She smiled warmly. The crowd seemed to part and disappear as she opened up her arms and let him walk right in, holding him tight. He nearly choked on a sob as reality set in.

"Is this real?" Chuck inquired as he pulled away slightly. She brushed away a few tears that were falling down his cheeks. "Have you really forgiven me?"

"Completely," she nodded, "I can't promise that I won't ever be angry and hurt by what happened, but I can promise I will never bring it up again. I promise you that my love for you will not waver. I will never doubt it or us. I want a life with you, and only you."

It wasn't exactly the terms he had laid out, but at that moment he didn't care. "Music to my ears," he responded as he closed his eyes while savoring the words.

"I need you to promise me something," she demanded gently as she caressed his shoulders softly.

"Anything," he proclaimed.

"Promise me the games between us ends now. When we manipulate and plot, we do it as a team. We are so much better together than we ever could be apart. We cannot allow ourselves to forget that. None of this would have happened had we remembered that in the beginning," she replied.

"Agreed," he nodded as he took her face into his hands, planting a desperate kiss against her lips. "I thought we were over. I thought this morning was the end for us, and how you acted at the museum . . ."

"I was reacting to how you were acting. You wouldn't let me within three feet of you. I thought I did something wrong," she explained.

"I was reacting to what you said after we made love. You said we needed to stop doing what we had just done," he prompted her.

"I was talking about wasting time," she told him, "I could never suggest we stop making love. I need you as much as I need air."

"We need to stop thinking," he announced, "It only gets us into trouble."

Her response was to kiss him again.

"What's changed?" he inquired. "What changed between today and yesterday? None of this makes any sense to me."

"Nothing changed and everything changed," she told him. "I realized as we were making love this morning that we are who we are. I love what we are together. I hate what we are apart."

"I love you," he professed as he kissed her again.

"This is our last chance, Bass," she warned him as she fisted her hands in his shirt, "We have one more chance to get this right. My heart cannot handle another failure."

"I don't need anymore chances," he assured her, "I've learned my lesson. Never again will I take us for granted. Never again will I jeopardize what we have. I will lose everything else in my life before I allow myself to lose you."

"Those are bold words, Bass," she told him.

"They're more that words," he told her as his hand slid into his pocket and pulled out the ring that was most recently returned to him.

"What are you saying?" she asked as her eyes reflecting the confusion she felt.

He released her and slowly lowered himself to his knee, taking a deep breath as he began preparing himself for the speech he'd been rehearsing for nearly three months.

"I've made a lot of mistakes, in my life and with you. Never have I regretting anything more than the day I hurt you and erased the faith you had entrusted to me. The look in your eyes broke my heart. I had to find a way to make it up to you. I did everything I could think of. I bought you expensive gifts, flooded your home with your favorite flowers, planned Dorota her perfect wedding, all in the hopes that you'd remember how good I can be with your influence.

"I self destruct without you. I drown myself in booze and drugs and cheap women because I don't trust anything good that tries to come into my life.

"I need you, Blair.

"I need you to save me from a lifetime of self destruction. Save me from a lifetime of misery. Save me from a lifetime devoid of love. Please, Blair, save me," he pleaded with her. "Marry me?"

"Chuck!" she gasped as his words sunk in.

"I know, we're young," he continued on. "We don't even have to get married right away. We can wait for as long as you want. We . . ."

Blair placed a finger to his lips to silence his ramble.

"I want nothing more than to spend my life with you," Blair began, "Yes, I will be your wife one day."

"That's a yes," he picked out of her response, not truly believing the word. He kept waiting for the 'but' he was sure would follow. "You just said yes."

"Yes," she laughed, "I said yes."

"Are you sure," he pressed, "You don't need to answer me right away. You can take time to think about it, as much as you need, in fact."

"Stop talking, Bass," she commanded him, "Slide the ring onto my finger and kiss me."

His hands were shaking as he took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her left hand. It was a perfect fit, as he'd known it would be.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed with joy as she eyed the ring as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Last chance," he cautioned her as he took her face into his hands gently as he eyed her lips. "When I kiss you, this becomes official."

"Kiss me then," she told him, her eyes eager in anticipation.

Chuck didn't waste another moment as he pressed his lips softly against hers. It was such a roller coaster day of emotions for him. He'd woken that morning with her in his arms, feeling her love for him. Then they'd made love and his heart nearly broke as he misinterpreted her statement. His depression worsened as the day went on, finally admitting that he'd lost her. Now they were engaged and his world was finally spinning once more.

"I need to know something," she announced as she pulled herself away from his lips with great difficulty. "You couldn't have possibly had enough time to stop at a jewelry store. I would have seen it if you'd had it since you left the hospital in Prague. How did you get this? One of your morning jaunts?"

"I've had this for awhile," he confessed.

"How long is awhile?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Since the night of the Empire Building fiasco," he told her, "I was going to propose to you that night."

"You were," she began to tear up.

"I had it that night I was mugged," he confessed, "It was what I was fighting to hang onto. It was the one thing I had left of you. I couldn't let it go. They shot me and took it anyways."

"Chuck," she sobbed as her head came to rest on his shoulder.

"Nathaniel tracked it down for me with the help of my P.I." he continued to explain, "I got both it and you back today."

"Let's go home," she suggested as she hugged him tight. She'd heard enough. She wanted to go back to the apartment and celebrate this momentous occasion.

"Are you sure you don't want to enjoy the scenery for a while longer?" he inquired as he pulled back slightly and motioned towards the view they hadn't even glanced towards yet.

"I want to enjoy your scenery," she replied as she began nibbling at his neck, "To heck with Paris."

People close enough to hear scoffed at her proclamation, but she was too caught up in their moment to care.

Chuck nodded as he guided her to the elevator. They waited patiently for the elevator to arrive as they clung to each other. The elevator operator seemed to recognize the pair, finding it appropriate that those two were together.

Despite the fast pace they were walking, the stroll back to the apartment took nearly twice as long as it should have. That was of course because they stopped every few steps to hug, kiss or hold each other. They were both giddy in excitement.

As they entered the apartment they were pawing all over each other. Nate and Serena were discussing how to fix the relationship of their best friends, putting aside their own relationship issues to take care of the ones that needed the help most. It was obvious to anyone that Blair and Chuck were soul mates. They just needed to be convinced of that. The amateur schemers nearly fell over in surprise as Chuck pressed Blair up against the door, kissing her soundly on the lips.

"Explain yourselves," Serena demanded as she and Nate tried valiantly to get their attention. Nate had proposed throwing a glass of water on them when they finally became aware that they were not alone in the room. "He left here convinced you two were through for good. Now you two are going at it like rabbits in heat."

"Chuck and I are engaged," Blair giggled as Chuck hugged her close.

"You're what!" Serena exclaimed as her eyes went wide as she saw the rock on Blair's hand that confirmed Blair's announcement.

"How the hell did that happen?" Nate pressed.

"We'll answer all your questions tomorrow," Chuck replied as he began walking Blair towards their bedroom. "You two may want to make yourselves scarce unless you're prepared for the sounds that are sure to come from our bedroom for the rest of the evening. My fiancée and I have a lot to celebrate."

"Oh god," Serena groaned. She wasn't sure she could take a reminder of what she witnessed earlier that day.

"Very good, Serena," Chuck laughed, "That certainly will be one of the sounds."

"Chuck!" Blair exclaimed as he backed her into the bedroom and closed the door.

"Dinner?" Nate suggested to the blonde who had her jaw hanging open.

"Dinner, a movie, a long walk, and perhaps a hotel room," Serena agreed, "There is no way I want to be anywhere near this place tonight. I had enough of a show earlier today when I passed by their room while they were going at it with the bedroom door open."

"Enough said," Nate laughed as he ushered her out of the apartment just as the first cries of passion began to waft out of the bedroom.

**TBC . . .**

**Just a little bit of story left in my head. Stay tuned.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Think we drove them out yet?" Blair inquired as she clung to him as they tried to discern if their best friends had indeed left for evening as the newly engaged pair had plotted on their jaunt home. There were no sounds coming from the other side of the door. Their motives were purely selfish as they wanted the apartment to themselves, but if Nate and Serena happened to resolve their issues in the process it would have made them both extremely happy.

"I think so," he nodded as he nuzzled her neck, "Your cries of passion were very convincing. I almost believed you and I were making love, and I can see we are both fully clothed."

"I told you we were better schemers together than apart," she laughed as he tickled her throat with his lips.

"I don't recall needing to be convinced of that bit of trivia," he replied, "But you are missing the point right now. We are both still fully clothed and our brand of celebration does not allow for such a distraction."

"You make an excellent point. We need to fix this," Blair replied as she began working the buttons on his shirt, working each one free at a frantic pace.

"Let's take this slow tonight," he suggested as he reached out to still her hands for a moment. "We have the rest of our lives."

"I don't want slow," she shook her head as she fought off his hands and continued to work the buttons at her same frantic pace as she began to back him towards the bed.

"Blair," he began.

"Don't tell me we have the rest of our lives, and don't tell me to take it slow," she scolded him. "I don't want restrictions, nor guidelines. I want to go with the moment and just feel our way through this. It's been too long since we've allowed ourselves to enjoy this."

"We've made love twice in the past few weeks," he reminded her.

"That was about scratching our itches before," she shook her head, "This is about us making love. I just want to feel you against me."

"In that case," he told her as he pulled away completely to pull all the blinds closed and flip the light switch so they were left in complete darkness.

"What are you doing?" she inquired as she tried to determine where he was in the room. She was totally blind in the blackness that surrounded them. Surely he would have remembered that during their blissful months together.

"Taking away one of your senses," he told her as he moved around the room with ease as he removed his clothes. Not that it was surprising to him as he had lived the life of a vampire most of his life, but he had always had excellent night vision. "You want to feel your way through this. I'm making sure you do just that."

"You promised no more games," she reminded him. He didn't need to see her to know that she had an adorable pout on her lips.

"I promised no more games against you," he reminded her as he came behind her, pressing his lips to the nape of her neck, "This is as much to your benefit as mine. Trust me."

A shiver coursed through her body as his breath warmed that one particular spot.

Blair's hand reached up to hold him to her as his hands began to work her blouse off her body, pulling away for a moment to lift the silk over her head.

After removing the skirt at her hips, his lips found the nape of her neck again as his hands massaged her shoulders gently as he worked the straps of her bra down her arms.

"Chuck," she gasped as his lips trailed down her neck and began nipping at her shoulder as he skillfully released the front clasp of her bra, dropping it to the floor as he palmed each of her breasts in his hands. She took a step back so that his bare chest was pressed more fully against her.

"How does this feel?" he whispered huskily into her ear as his fingers twirled her nipples into stiff peaks.

"Amazing," she responded as her head rolled back to rest against his shoulder.

"You haven't felt anything yet," he assured her as he spun her towards him while lifting her into his arms. His stomach screamed in protest, but he ignored the pain as he lowered her to the bed. There wasn't allowed to be pain of any sort that evening, only pleasure.

"Neither have you," she told him as she rolled him onto his back as he tried to climb over her. Her lips began lazy patterns across his chest as she lightly bit, sucked, and licked his skin in alternating patterns as she worked her way lower until she got to the scar at his abdomen. He was still incredibly sensitive there which worked to her advantage as she tried to kiss away the wound she had indirectly inflicted upon him.

"Blair, I can't take this anymore," he announced as he regained control, pinning her underneath him. "I need you."

"I thought you wanted to take this slow," she reminded him. He could practically see the sparkle in her eyes even though the surrounding darkness made that impossible. He simply knew her too well.

"Your temptress ways have changed my mind," he grinned into the darkness as he captured her hands and kissed each one in turn, pausing for a few moments at her left ring finger were his ring was proudly resting. He still could not believe she had said yes.

"Good," she replied as she felt him pressed against her through the thin material still covering her hips. It was the only barrier left between them and it didn't remain in place for too long as he slid it down her legs before he positions himself over her.

"I love you," he announced as he cradled her body against his as he hovered above her, allowing her several moments to speak up if she did not want to continue.

"I love you," was her only respond as she rolled her hips up against him, opening herself to take him inside. Chuck's eyes fell closed as he accepted her challenge and pushed into her further as he was drawn in by her vaginal walls.

They both began to cry out as their mating reached a fevered pitch. They both were desperate for release, but unwilling to let this moment end.

Tears of joy rolled down Blair's checks only to be brushed away by Chuck's lips. The dark chapter of their life had truly ended, and a much brighter and more promising one had begun.

Chuck couldn't get enough. After feeling that their life together was over just a few short hours earlier, he became greedy, needing more and more as he refused to allow his release even when she flew over the ledge, begging him to come with her.

"Chuck!" she called out for him as her eyes rolled back into her head as she arched up into him. Hearing her desperate plea finally sent Chuck over the edge.

She curled into him as they both tried valiantly to catch their breath. Her left hand landed against his chest. His fingers traced her hand as he brushed against her ring. Through the darkness, she could tell he was smiling. His proposal still replayed through her head. His words were sincere yet desperate. She only hoped that she truly could save him from himself.

"You're being awfully quiet, Beautiful," he told her as he continued stroking her hand gently.

"I'm just a little overwhelmed," she told him as she pecked at his chest softly. "I didn't expect this to be the outcome of our adventure at the top of the Eiffel Tower."

"It was what I was planning for the top of the Empire," he told her.

"So you've told me," she reminded him.

"I was trying again when Humphrey punched me," he told her, "And then everything began to spin out of control."

"I know," she nodded. He felt her movements against his chest and knew that she had tears forming in her eyes. "We're done talking about this. Remember."

"Last time I ever bring it up," he told her, "But I need you the know everything."

"I know everything I need to," she assured him.

"I'm going to continue to make mistakes," he reminded her, "Never will they be of the magnitude of what I've put you through most recently, but know that I love you."

"I know," she assured him.

"Let me finish," he requested as he put a finger to her lips. "I love you, and I will never intentionally hurt you."

"Do you really want to marry me or is this just your way of assuring that I'll never leave you?" she inquired.

"I want to marry you," he told her.

"You've never wanted to talk about marriage before. Whenever I used to bring it up, you'd roll over and pretend to be falling asleep," she replied.

"I was a fool," he told her, a hint of bitterness in his response. "I was foolish enough to believe then that I could do anything I wanted and still have you in my life. I thought unconditional love had no limits. I'm not that stupid anymore."

"Unconditional love," she repeated as she brushed at the tear that escaped. "That's what you have for me, isn't it."

Chuck merely nodded.

"But you don't think that is what I have for you," she replied.

"Unconditional love does not equal a free pass to do anything and get away with it. I traded you to my fucking uncle for a stupid piece of property that I'd rather sell now than ever step foot in again. Just saying those words out loud makes me physically ill. How can you look at me? How can you allow me to touch you? How can you even think of letting me have a future with you?" he snapped.

"I love you," she told him, "That's what unconditional love is all about. It's looking past all the faults, the horrible lapses in judgment, and seeing the other person's true self. It's what you've always seen it me."

"True self," he gritted his teeth, "This is my true self. I do these sick and twisted things without any thought of consequences."

"Will you trade me ever again to someone else for sex?" she pressed.

"No," he growled.

"And I trust you enough to know that these sick and twisted things that you do will not involve me ever again. As you just said, you will never intentionally hurt me," she reassured him.

"This bastard is still inside me," he told her in nothing more than a whisper. "You may be able to trust me, but I don't think I can trust myself."

"You are the one that has been saying that you want to restore my faith in you. Now it is my turn to restore your faith in yourself. If you cannot trust yourself, trust me," she told him as she grasped his hand and brought it to her lips, "Trust me to save you from you. I'll always be here for you. I'll talk you down off the ledge. I'll be at your side when your world is crumbling around you. I'll take your hand and guide you into the light."

"Okay." His answer was simple and to the point. He couldn't trust himself, but his trust in her was steadfast.

"Anything else you need to say before I have my way with you again?" she inquired as she began to peck at his chest again.

"Only that I love you," he told her as he rolled her under him.

**The End.**

**I hate that this is the end, as your response as been truly overwhelming, but I could no longer ignore the other thoughts floating around in my head that need to come out.**

**Thank you for allowing me this indulgence of breaking away from my other series of stories. I probably should have mentioned this in the beginning, but this is a stand-alone story completely separate from all the rest. **

**I hope you all have enjoyed this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. **

**Keep an eye out. I'm in the creative mood right now. I might post something sooner rather than later, but I will be returning to my regular series already in progress. I just need to decide which story in my head is worth of coming out first.**


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